Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	king_n	read_v	write_v	2,895	5	5.5794	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20960	Theophilus, or Loue diuine A treatise containing fiue degrees, fiue markes, fiue aides, of the loue of God. Translated by Richard Goring, out of the third French edition: renewed, corrected and augmented by the author M. Peter Moulin, preacher the reformed Church of Paris.; Theophile ou de l'amour divin. English.	Du Moulin, Pierre, 1568-1658.; Goring, Richard.	1610 (1610)	STC 7339; ESTC S118661	51,058	311

bad companies bookes of loue-tales after enticements and occasions of doing ill Finally we finish this praier with mention of the kingdome and glorie of God by which this same prayer began that it might warne vs that euē as our praiers so also al our affectiōs ought to begin and end with the glorie of God So many petitions so many aduertisements for Iesus Christ most artificially by teaching vs how to craue for good teacheth vs also to do it In ordering our praiers hee also ordereth our actions so as speaking to God we also speake to our selues by praying vnto God we learne also to feare him And surely when you shall see vnrulinesse in a household either by disobedience of the children or by dissention betweene man and wife it is a certen witnesse that God is not there called vpon as hee ought For this only action of lifting vp of hearts and hands together vnto God might haue sufficed to reunite their diuided affections and entertaine from day to day their familie in the feare of God For by speaking often to God we learne to loue him and louing him to follow him Moses his face became shining for hauing spoken with God so our soules wil becom enlightned in the knowledge of God when we and counsell all the ambition of so great a monarch and making him contribute at vnawares vnto the accomplishment of the prophesies That which is the greatest of the world employeth it selfe for the least of his children and serueth for the executiō of his loue The holy Scripture being full of such examples rightly may it be called the booke of true loue seeing that therein God not onely vnfoldeth his loue but also bindeth vs to loue him and not only exhorteth vs to this loue but also produceth it in vs by this same word accompanying the preaching of the same with the efficacy of his holy Spirit And to say true I thinke that the most part of vs haue had experiēce that after the hearing of the word the sparks of loue do kindle in our hearts and that hearing God speake or speaking of God we are inflamed with his loue So the two disciples being in Emaus after Iesus Christ was vanished said Did not our harts burn within vs when he spake vnto vs on the waie and preached the Scriptures And Ieremie in the 20. chap. desiring to reserue the word of God in his hart without vttering it saith that he felt it in his heart like a burning fire Wherefore so but because this word receiued into the hearts of the auditors heateth them with the like ardour as also the tongues of fire descending vpon the Apostles witnessed that God gaue them burning tongues and a word full of efficacie to enflame mens hearts Wherefore those which being caried away with their busines or withheld by feare or perswaded of their sufficiencie neglect coming to sermons shall insensibly feele that this heate waxeth coole and that a caule groweth ouer their consciences This negligence will grow to a distast this distast to a disdaine this disesteeme vnto a hardnes of heart enmitie against God Whosoeuer will entertaine the loue of God in his heart ought dayly to come heare his word the which he hath chosen as a wholsom means to moue our hearts and to purge our spirits as Christ saith to his Apostles You are cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you Being there we must hearken to the preaching with greedinesse suffer reprehensions gently receiue exhortations with ardor And euē as those vpon whom men mean to make some incision suffer themselues to be bound and pinioned by the Chirurgion lest the motion of the patient should hinder the operation so must we when the seruants of God are occupied about pricking the apostumes of our vices and cutting off our concupiscences which S. Paul calleth our members stay our mouing lightnesse and inconstancie lest it hinder the efficacy of this word by our impatiencie To the hearing of the word we must adde the reading according to the example of those of Beroea who after they had heard S. Pauls preaching went and consulted with the Scriptures to see the conformitie therof with the writings of the Prophets although that the Apostle being powerfull in miracles and in words did preach with authoritie enough to be beleeued as might be thought how much more ought we now a dayes at our coming frō the sermon content our curiosity to know if that we heare that day be true Wee which heare Pastors which are not receiueable but so farre forth as they proue their sayings by the word of God Amongst all the books of holy Scripture the most obscure is the Apocalypse and yet it is said in the first chapter that happie are they that reade and those which heare the words of this prophesie In the 17. of Deuter. God commandeth Kings to reade the booke of the law all the dayes of their life Reading thereof was the exercise of the Queene Candaces Eunuch as he rode in his chariot If he read being a pagā how much more being become a Christian And if he read when he vnderstood not how much more when he began to vnderstand If he read in his chariot how much more in his house Also God hath tendered him his hand by the ministery of Philip and vpon the reading the light of the Gospell is come vnto him for an argument vnto vs of hope that in reading carefully the holy Scriptures God wil enlighten vs. He which accuseth it of obscuritie accuseth it also of leasing for it saith of it selfe that it enlightneth the eyes that it giueth wisedome to the poore and simple that it is a lanterne to our feet a light vnto our paths If it be obscure it is saith the Apostle to those of whō the god of this world hath blinded the vnderstandings At least let vs haue good opinion of God our Father Let vs not thinke that he hath written his Testament in obscure termes and ambiguous clauses to intangle vs in suites The Father of lights in neuer cause of obscuritie Let vs not endeuor to make this word suspitious vnto the people as if the reading thereof were dangerous as doe those profanely fearful people who vnder euerie stone imagine a Scorpion to lurke If there be any difficulties the rest which is cleare is sufficient vnto saluation If it appertaine but vnto the learned to reade the Scriptures it appertaineth then vnto none to reade them for no bodie is skilfull before he haue read them Wee reade not the word of God because we are learned but to become so Now here we passe ouer an infinite number of profits which we gather of this reading as is the confirmation of our faith consolation in affliction a gentle diuerting a maister which flattereth not a cōpanie which is not troublesome a spirituall munition house which containeth all sorts of weapons against temptations which furnisheth wherewithall

diuell comforting himselfe in the meane time in God and relying on his loue This same friendship among the faithfull will serue the better to make them know themselues For seeing we be blind in our imperfections we ought to borrow our friends eyes and lend them ours to the end we may mutually reprehend and correct one another The serious reprehensions of a friend do more good then praises were they neuer so true Whoso shall take away from friendship the libertie of reprehending leaueth nothing that may distinguish it from flatterie And seeing that we are naturally lame and benūmed in things touching Gods seruice we must employ the helpe of our friēds to the end they may bring vs into this bath to receiue healing For God communicateth not his graces vnto vs that they should fade and vanish with vs but that we might multiply our talent and that the spring of his spiritual benedictions which he causeth to breake forth in vs may run out and serue for instruction to our neighbors as Christ saith to S. Peter But thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren For if God command vs to take vp our enemies strayed beast how much more to reforme the soule of our friend when it wandereth out of the way of saluation This communication also among the faithfull bringeth comfort in affliction which being deuided among many is more easily borne Many small brooks reunited in one channell carrie great vessels many afflicted spirits ioyning thēselues together by concord mutuall support will easily beare an affliction And the word of God witnesseth vnto vs that God looketh on hearkneth vnto and taketh pleasure in the consolations and mutuall exhortations of his children So the Prophet Malachie in the 3. chapter saith that when the proud are esteemed happie and the bad aduanced then those which feared the Lord spake one vnto another the Lord was attentiue and heard and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them which feare the Lord and think on his name and they shall be mine said the Lord when I shall lay apart my most precious iewels O how precious a treasure is a vertuous friend fearing God! And would to God that as we are vsed to know by certaine markes the goodnesse and courage of a horse so also in the choise of friends that we might with the sight of a man know his vertue but the lurking holes of the spirit of a man are so deep that he deceiueth both himselfe and others and he is hidden euen from himselfe Yet by a mans innocencie of his actiōs sobrietie of his words by the simplicitie of his habit by his zeale and ardour in Gods cause by his disesteem of gain by his eschuing of pleasures you may very probably know the puritie of his mind within euē as by the sparks coming forth of a heape of ashes men know the hidden fire The third helpe of the loue of God THe disesteeme likewise and hatred of the world doth not a litle aide vnto the loue of God For the loue of the world saith S. Iames is enmitie against God And S. Iohn likewise If anie one loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him By the world I vnderstand humane busines worldly pomp carnall enticements earthly desires deceitful and vncertaine hopes who so loueth God will looke on these things with disdaine He wil passe ouer all the ages of man from his conception vnto his rotten sepulcher he will consider in all the conditions and states of his life his certaine miserie his vncertain hopes vnfruitfull gaine that he may say with Salomon Vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Looking on these things with a disdaine mingled with compassion a disdaine extending euen vnto hatred when he shall consider wickednesse to be mingled with vanitie and the diuell to haue so established his reigne in the world that it is a kind of miracle and prodigie to see therein a good man So as the Prophet Esay acknowledgeth chap. 8. Behold me saith he and the children which the Lord hath giuen me for a signe and for a miracle in Israel Now if it were a miracle in Israel to see a familie instructed in the feare of the Lord how much more amongst infidels and if in Ierusalem how much more in Babylon It is then without reason that we wonder when wee see examples of disloyaltie crueltie vncleannesse seeing that on the contrary the Spirit of God teacheth vs to hold the example of pietie and the feare of God for a miraculous and vnusual thing These and such like considerations ioyned vnto the feeling of the excellencie of the children of God will cause the faithfull to esteeme himselfe better then the world and looking on the earth as a place cursed will liue therin as a passenger and traueller as an Englishman that should trauell ouer Persia or Tartaria intending to returne into his countrey For hee will not answer as that Philosopher who being enquired of what countrey he was answered that he was a citizen of the world but the faithfull saith he is a stranger in this world and a citizen of heauen and therfore withdrawing his affection from the world and raising vp his heart vnto God he doth like him who from the top of the Alpes where the aire is cleer looketh vpō the fields beaten with tempest the country all about foggie and mistie and there reioyceth him self resting himselfe vpō the loue of God which hath deliuered him frō this general male dictiō So in the 29. Psalme after hauing represented the tearing of the Cedars the shaking of the mountaines and the discouering of the forrests by the force of the thundering voice of God he withdraweth the children of God out of this confusiō and assembles them into Gods pallace where hee is glorified and assures himselfe that God wil giue peace and strength vnto his people For in this pallace of God which is his church doth sound that voice not which shaketh the mountains but which assureth our hearts not that voice which rooteth vp the Cedars but that which comforteth our consciences not that which causeth the Hindes to cast their yong ones but which maketh vs to conceiue hope It is the word of the Gospell in which God layeth open the treasures of his loue in which whosoeuer shall take a relish he shall finde the sweetes of the world to be bitternesse and hating the same wil learne to loue God Now we say this not to discharge our selues of all earthly things this carelesnes of the world hindereth not the loue of our children nor the care of our family nor our endeuour in the administration of our magistracie but the faithful will do these things as a passenger fits himselfe in the best manner he may at some Inne He who is not to stay there aboue a night will not stand to build a wall and if he suffer there any discommodity he wil patiently digest it because it is but a