Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	lord_n	name_n	write_v	5,698	5	5.8489	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25421	The right government of thoughts, or, A discovery of all vain, unprofitable, idle, and wicked thoughts with directions for the getting, keeping, and governing of good thoughts, digested into chapters for the ease of the reader : whereunto are added four sermons / by ... John Angel ...	Angel, John, d. 1655.; T. B.	1659 (1659)	Wing A3162A; ESTC R13149	89,280	271

at the root of godlinesse That thoughts are free or that they are sins not much markable or of heinous consequence yet let me speak the truth as it is in Christ Evil thoughts are sins of special note and dangerous because they are primary sins ns and leaders of other sins in and out out of the heart proceed evill thoughts Mat. 7. 18. as the thoughts of Adultery Murder c. The best action in the world if it proceed not from a well-ordered and disposed thought is not commendable and doubtlesse an evil work premeditated and thought upon is so much more sinfulnful and damnable Simon Magus did not give money for the holy Ghost though he offered it because there were none that would receive it yet Peter perceived him in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity yet Peter denounceth Thy mony perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of the holy Ghost may be purchased with mony Act. 8. 18. 23. others sins are sinsns at second hand and as some think so far forth dangerous as they have residence in the heart 3. Evil thoughts are the occasions of sin and therefore require a strict hand to be kept over them wicked doings and wicked sayings begin at wicked imaginations An unjust man deviseth mischief upon his bed and then sets himself in a way that is not good Psal 36. 4. when God gave up the Gentiles to a reprobate mind they did things which were not convenient they were filled with all unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 28 29. if the heart be filthy within the mouth will speak out of the abundance thereof it cannot be but a foul heart and mind should be attended with a foul life or a very hypocritical The Gentiles of whom even now had vain minds and they walked in the vanity of their minds Where there is vanity in the mind there will be wickednesse in the walk Eph. 4. 17. 4. God will punish evil thoughts Salomon pronounceth The thoughts of the the wicked are an abomination to the Lord but God will punish abominations Prov. 15. 26. Our Saviour brings the thoughts of unadvised anger and the desires of Adultery within the compasse of sin and of judgement too The actions of the soul though discontinued from transiency into apparent aberrations are both sinful and punishable by the Law of God indeed the lawes of men in their animadversions and punishments reach but to word or deed but here is the breadth and purity of Gods Law that it forewarnes and punisheth the evil of thoughts wherefore look to your thoughts And if but any of those inward parts be wickednesse pray that the thoughts of your hearts may be forgiven Acts 8. 22. 5. Good thoughts are pleasing unto God My son give me thy heart saith wisdom Prov. 23. 26. without the heart all the works of thy hand are nothing worth with God God loves the spiritual sacrificer one that worships him in spirit and in truth and what more spiritual service unto God then to offer him our thoughts these are the first-born of our soules Joh. 4. 23. the prime productions of the mind whereinto no eye pryes but that which is ten thousand times brighter than the Sun in his clearnesse This close sacrificer is by so much more pleasing unto God as he is without base respects to impaire his worth There is no witnesse of what passeth betwixt God and a thinking soul none present but God taking and accepting and the soul-offering In these attendancies of the soul upon God there is no Law-enforcements by punishments or shame which carry them forward nor censure of enemies nor flatteries or rewards of the world And when God finds a pure progeny of holy and unforced thoughts proceeding freely from himself their progenitor and directed to him as their chief good God takes the persons to him as Jacob did Ephraim and Manasseh and bestowes upon them the priviledge of having his name named upon them Gen 48. 16. A righteous man whose thoughts are just is so pleasing unto God that God keeps a Bill of his name that he may remember him in due time God keeps a book of remembrance before him wherein are written They that fear the Lord and that think upon his name Malac. 3. 16. 6. Good thoughts unite us unto God so many good thoughts as we have so much acquaintance we have with God so much as our thoughts are turned unto God so much is God turned unus holy thoughts and heavenly meditations are our Communions with God A man in divine meditations if fixed and active is in a sort slipp'd out of the world and his own body to keep company and to speak with God Happy soule whose thoughts immediately carry him unto God or but immediately thinks of God in the creatures we should let no thought passe unlesse God be at one end of it or have reference to it the Apostle James saith of speeches can one fountain send forth both sweet water and bitter Jam. 3. so of thoughts let me speak can one heart send out thoughts uniting unto God and at the same time thoughts tying us unto the Devill make us one with the world and heaven with the spirit and the flesh no in no sort therefore look that your thoughts keep correspondencie one with another and all with God 7. Good thoughts are comfortable to our soules and therefore we had need to govern our thoughts justly our thoughts in some sort are more comfortable then either good words or works a man may take the truest measure of his gracious stature by his own thoughts It is our joy and Crown of rejoycing before men and Angels if we can say with Paul we have lived in all good conscience toward God Acts 23. 1. To have such an even course in morality honesty charity as gives satisfaction to the good and stoppes the mouths of gain-sayers and to have such a government of words as may teach many hurt none profit all is a great mercy yet this will not satisfy nor give true warrant of comfort to the soul no nor make our outward obedience acceptable to God till we have purified our hearts and set in order our thoughts from whence words and works do arise A man may keep a fair Quarter with the world obtain a good reputation for commendable morality be well esteemed for outward rites of Religion yet have thoughts as black as hell filthy as Sodom he that said hail Master to Christ and kissed him was the Traytour among the twelve and while a soule is so filthy within what comfort can she have of any thing outwardly done Oh when a soule is stung with fiery Serpents and the great red dragon hath wrapped the poor wretch under him Where shall he find comfort and peace Dost thou think to find comfort in thy works Comfort is not there for they were done but in formality and hypocrisy passe to thy words Comfort is not there for words are wind