Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	law_n	lord_n	word_n	3,240	5	4.1297	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64004	The art of salvation preached first at Saint Maries in Oxford, and now published by Thomas Tvvittee ...	Twittee, Thomas, b. 1596.	1643 (1643)	Wing T3426; ESTC R32884	17,921	26

and punishment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith our Saviour This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse more then light because their deeds are evill John 3.19 Hence learne we in the second place to bewaile and deplore this our naturall ignorance Man is borne like a wild asses Colt yet vaine man would be wise Iob. 11.12 Where the holy Ghost shewes that we are not only Sottish but peevish and intractable not only ignorant of Gods will but having a will still to be ignorant Secondly labour for knowledge pray with holy David Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law and give me understanding in the way of godlinesse use the helpe and direction of the Ministrie for the Doctrine of salvation must be learned of those to whom God hath committed the worde of reconciliation Labia Sacerdotis The Priests lipps must preserve knowledge and the People must seeke the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hoasts Mala. 2.7 As before the publishing of the Law the preist went immediately unto the mouth of God to know his will so must we now goe unto the booke of God wherein is a peculiar patefaction of his revealed will and unto those men whom he hath made able Ministers of the new Testament For they are the Stewards of God and dispensers of his sacred Mysteries 1 Cor 4.1 The word of reconciliation is committed unto them 2 Cor 5.19 Ambassadors for Christ that doe in his stead pray us to be reconciled unto God they are the light of the world duces viae guides unto our spirituall Canaan Instructors of the ignorant Teachers of them that want discretion they are indeed the very privy Councellors of heaven For nihil faciet Dominus nisi prius servis suis Prophetis revelaverit God will doe nothing but he will first reveale it to his servants the Prophets Amos 3.7 What shall we say then to those that contemne the Ministrie as a calling unworthy and unnecessary altogether Certainely it is a grand pollicie of Sathan to bring the leaders into disgrace that so he might carry the people hoodwinckt to Hell and I feare that Jewes and Turkes will one day rise in judgement and condemne many that beare the name of Christians for they honour the Mufties of Superstition these contemne the Ministers of the Gospell The pastors then must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men able to teach for Quod parum uovit nemo docere potest as the Poet. No man can instruct others if ignorant himselfe and men apt to teach 1 Tim 3.2 Not suppressing the light of their learning under the bushell of a lazie and unseasonable silence like unto frozen Rivers that make great shew but yeild no water unto the thirsty passenger And for all we must hence learne to wait at the gates of wisdome to be frequent in the use of Gods Sacred Ordinances for though the world think it not so needfull yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Peter you do well that you take heed unto the word of God as unto a light shining in a darke place for this will make you wise unto salvation and my third part the matter in question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may be saved It was a good Epigram that learned scholler Aldus Manutius wrote upon his studdy doore Quisquis es Aldus etiam atque etiam te rogat Vt perpancis agas deinde arctutùm abeas Whoever thou art Aldus intreates the breifly to dispatch and presently begonne unlesse thou come as Hercules sometime did to wearied Atlas to put thy shoulder under the burthen Plutarch recordes of that famous Councell assembled in Greece of 12 severall people that they wrote on the Temple of Apollo instead of Homers Iliades the songs of Pyndarus large and tyring discourses such short commemoratives as these Know thy selfe Beware of suretiship use moderation How strickt an observation have we here of these Rules what carefulnesse to avoid the censure of a tedious or unnecessary question though so daunted with feare and distracted with astonishment yet he recollects his wits and makes but one Quaere and that so pithy and materiall that I may say with the Orator in another case Quam plurima paucis what a world of matter in so few words nay sillables To besaved comprehends in it the meanes of our conversion to Christ our Regeneration Justification Glorification whatsoever tends to our new being here or our eternall well being hereafter for thus I construe his meaning with Aretius that he is de salute animae sollicitus sollicitous now for the welfare of his soule for the safe abode of his prisoners freed him from bodily danger and withall observe I beseech you that he intimateth knowledge of action and promise of obedience What must I d● The Heathen especially those that rellished the doctrine of the Perepateticks conceited the cheifest happinesse of man to consist in the action of vertue and therefore though grace were every way free in God yet he knowes aliquid agendum something on mans part is to be performed And lastly he is not curious to pry into the state of others as once that prime Apostle Domine quid autem hic what shall he here do and therefore is justly reprehended with quid ad te what is that to thee follow thou mee but hi● discreet charity begins at home and in the first place reflects upon himselfe what must I doe to be saved here the observations come thick upon us but we will shut up all in this one namely That the businesse of salvation requires the best care paines and diligence of the best and therefore our Saviours injunction is generall First seeke the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Math. 6.33 prae omnibus conditis animam charius amare debemus above all things created a mans cheifest care must be for the welfare of his soule and therefore holy David styleth it his Darling that is most precious in his esteeme Deliver my soule from the Lyon my Darling from the power of the dogge And Domine die animae Lord say unto my soul I am thy salvation Psal 35. How slightly soever the world for the most part esteeme of Salvation as if nothing were more easie and triviall then to be saved yet they find the fatall contrary by harsh experience and Sathan himsele that cunning Sophister who now by all meanes labours to perfwade this for a truth in the heart of vaine and carelesse man that so he may neglect heaven deferre his conversion and despise profered grace will one day prove himself a liar and with utmost arguments of aggravation alledge the difficultie nay impossibility thereof turning his tale and flatly telling the amazed conscience that the Art of Salvation requireth time and care and paines and that long and narrow way to Heaven will not be troden in an instant This