Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	name_n	speak_v	write_v	2,667	5	5.2616	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96104	Jerusalems glory, or, the saints safetie in eying the churches security, wherein is shewed the captives redress: being an invitation to all the different minded men in the world to become one; with the advantage of unity, and the danger of variety from the example of the saints and servants of God, as well in former as these latter times. Offered to the view of the 97 builders imployed in that work, for the building of the true temple, and all others. / By Thomas Watson, a lover of peace.	Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.	1661 (1661)	Wing W1131; Thomason E1856_4; ESTC R210370	59,985	120

by due right to themselves and gloried in so doing and delighted themselves in birds and four footed beasts and creeping things more than in the Creator from whence they had their being and therefore he sayes God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves Besure that when they came to that degree of apostasie God would not leave them without punishment for it but lets them run into all unseemly behaviour as you may read the 20 30 31. vers of this Chap. when God gives up a people to their own lusts desires of their own hearts they run on from one degree of unrighteousness to another till at last they are so captivated by their own lusts that though they come to see that they act contrary to the rules of natural reason yet they have small or no desire to leave it but run on still and persist from one evil device to another from committing fornication with their own lusts to covetousness and malignity and so to murther and debate and having no understanding they become Covenant-breakers as the Apostle instances They were without natural affection implacable and unmerciful Therefore I say beware of Idolatry and do not make it your business to worship these and such like Gods as the Apostle hath it plainly Phil. 3.19 Whose gods are their bellies and whose glory is their shame but fix your Faith aright in Gods prescribed rule and then you will be able to wage war with the Devil in his cunningest designs but it will require your fervent care continually to watch that you may know and be sure to be provided for his coming For if you seek to do the Will of the Father which is Holiness and Purity you must observe what his Commands are and do not think to secure your selves by notional pretences and literal expressions rudely reasoning with your selves in the worst of sences and the extravigants of courses accounting it a small sin to offend God or to walk contrary to his Commandements of Love and Chartly Peace and Truth for if you walk contrary to this you may profess what you please but if your actions and intentions do not answer what your pretences seem to blaze forth into notional extreams as I may so account them I will not value that opinion though they pretend to be Saints or Angels for if they walk so loosly as that their own hearts condemn them in their intention much more may God condemn them who seeth in secret and knoweth in secret happy is he that can try all things with Solomon and yet not be linked in his affection to any thing I speak as in respect of his serving or idolizing any thing below God he can rejoice with a Heroick spirit not onely that Devils are made subject to him but that his name is written in the Book of Life he can try and search into the secondary powers of the world and yet not like to the Phylosophers of the Heathen conclude That the Images of them should be worshipped because as they say they represent their Gods to them and that the reverencing of God is the uncovering of the head or the sprinkling with holy water and exterior expiations and exteriour ornaments for our Devine prayses as musical harmony and burning of wax candles and light and ringing of bells and adorning of temples altars and images in which as they say is required a special reverence and comeliness This is not a Garden for such to plant their Vine in who by the Spirit of Jehovah can like the Bee suck Honey out of the Thistle and yet account the Honey-suckle the more rarer flower he that is truly grounded in this will well know what I mean in all the rest it is not the Sun Moon nor any inferiour light by which they walk or act but acknowledge a more supream and splendant brightness to be their guide in all things and that they can try all these and make it experimentally appear that they seek the honour of him which governeth and ruleth all things even as he pleaseth and when he pleaseth to alter them They are made subject to him at all seasons yea he giveth them a brighter splendor at one time than at another to our appearance And what is the glory of any thing but in the manifestation of it Oh! happy is he that like the Bee can go to Thistles and suck vertue out of them as well as forth of the sweetest Flowers though they are more in esteem in their sight it argues the spirit of discerning as well as the Spirit that tryeth and searcheth he needs not fear the being deceived that knoweth honey when he tryeth it much less he that knoweth it by sight he will not like the Waspe lye prying after the Bees Nest when he can suck the purest forth of the Flower and peradventure there may be a more bitter sting in the Nest than he bringeth power to expel as the Snake doth commonly keep both Bee and Waspe away though they have both stings yet let this be your observation that the lesser must be swallowed up of the greater or else be put to flight thrice happy is he that is truly conquered by the true Swallower up of all things He can plead a true and certain interest with any man or all men for whatever doth branch forth it self if really engrafted into this Stock it will be abidable although the winter frosts may seemingly eclipses the beauty of our professions yet it cannot reach our root but we shall retain so much sap there as will cause our branches to flourish again in their season for as the Phylosophers conclude the Sun will not spend all his year in a sign where he hath his detriment or fall but will by his progressive motion in his exactness in his line or circuit go strait forward and doth not look backward as though he was afraid of those captivating powers that have as I may say so dominion over him at such times as is apparent in our Horizon that that power that he assureth himself of in March he is deprived of in September and that glorious shew of heat yea even to scorch us as it were in July is overswayed by the unequal frequenting of a Januaries approach yet say they the Sun doth continue going forward still notwithstanding all his repulses by the unfortunate solicits of his most potent enemies Even so he that doth really know the worth of grace and the benefit of his endeavours that Christ hath purchased for all them that will believe and lay fast hold upon him in his Death and Resurrection I say such a one that is truly sensible of what worth and value Christs Death and Life is to all those that enjoy a portion of it effectually operating over all the lets and impediments that are in the way to hinder his true discerning of it he cannot but press forward accounting

when he shall appear in his glory to shew us the heavenly mansions that he hath prepared for us therefore let us use all endeavours possibly we can to nourish that more noble Seed and let us beware we do not stifle it in its womb but rather seek to cherrish it by feeding upon moderation that so its Birth may be hastned and its glory manifested and then thy pleasant pastures will be beautified with that incomparable Lilly even righteousnesse that so it may produce the effectual crop of peace and holiness without which no man can see God let us not become only hearers of the word but doers of it also knowing that the time past may suffice us to walk as we have walked in the vanity of our minds therefore now let us seek to lay aside all such superfluities of naughtiness that we may learn to receive the grafted word in meekness that is able to save our souls and not to spend our time in eying the seeming delights of this world but rather manifest your selves to be such as seek a Kingdom whose foundation is laid in truth and righteousness and to lay up our Treasure where neither Moth nor Canker can polute nor thieves break thorough to steale away that so we may ayme at that mark in which we may have just cause of joy in the end for where our Treasure is there will our hearts be also so shall we approve our selves to be the friends of God by doing the will of God and then our beauty will become perfect thorough his comeliness and we shall receive an unction from the Holy One whereby we may come to know all things yea even the deep things of God and to persist from one degree of righteousness to another and to treasure up for our selves that hope that will purge out all uncleanness and cause us to walk more wisely and to mourne over him whom we have pierced that neither grave nor death may have any more then what was assigned them from the beginning that so we may joyfully and conqueringly sing O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory This is the conquest that we have gained if we Love God we shall not want that spiritual food because he loveth us and hereby shall we know if we love him or not for he that loveth God keepeth his Commandments and his Commandements are not grievous unto him Thus desiring each one that shall peruse this my vulgar yet more loving present to wholly uncloath themselves of all envy least whereas they think to dart my weak endeavours with any envions dart they over-strein their hand in venting it and so make themselves altogather unfit for their more expedient war by seming to inflict any former grudge upon this my present Treatise but I would advise any one that hath any thing against me to let me suffer for that in that nature that they do suppose me to be guilty in rather then to defame any one thing here that their conscience may tell them is truth and let them render me what they please I hope I shall have love enough to banish all thoughts of envy that may seek to encroach into my delightful Treasury from whence this small Treatise did proceed I know many may be retorting upon me for the vulgarness of my Speech but let them conclude had I had as much leasure to indite as they may have to peruse each word I might have mended some of those expressions that they may judge correctible but let not any envy my mean instructions knowing that they might proceed from as effectual a fountain of fervency as if they had had the glosse of more curious wits assuring themselves it is an easier thing to correct an error in anothers Book or to think they can then to write a Book void of others sensuring the same by them if not proving it thus let it suffice each of my superiours that I have not any ways hindered the building of the Temple intentionally but rather endeavouted to lend them my helping hand to hew one small Stone fit for the builders use and if I finde that my endeavours may any wayes further or hasten the work I shall have great cause to rejoyce and it will be a great encouragement for me to persevere in my intended work and to continue seeking to pleasure you with one more effectually wrought therefore let me entreat you not to dispise the workmanship of this I knowing my self altogether unworthy to be employed so far as to take theis work in hand yet if my willingness stir up the Spirits of any in the persuance of this work let them attribute the honour of it to the chief owner of the work by whom I was both employed and instructed and if any thing may prove advantagious to you in this my invitation of love repay it to my Instructer and do not set up an Image in your hearts to bestow any thing of obedience to it but sacrifice your whole heart to him from whom you receive your life and beeing that so we may presse forward toward the marke of the price of the free calling of God by yielding him all the preheminence of what he hath wrought for us and let us manifest our selves to be his servants by planting the fruitful Vine of Love that so our Lords Vineyard may yield him its propper fruits in due season and as he hath demonstrated himself to be a God and a Father to us so we may resign up the strength of our minds to serve him in his commands and then we shall receive the reward of good servants which will be unto us of more value then all the delightsome Husks of this life which at the best are but transitory and changeable as in respect of our more durable riches What though all the unfrequent gusts of persecution may meet us in our progress into the several Revolutions in this world whence possibly we may receive the losse of all other seeming pleasures by those that are contradictors of the truth yet here will be our comfort that we have a treasure that no man can take from us if we keep close to the truth no one can take away that treasure that is laid up for all those that shall be found Conquerours by the overcomming of the lusts and pride of this world in their exactness in the wayes of truth their pleasure will be in desiring to be at their home and center knowing that there they shall take their repose whereas before they are dissolved from their earthly tabernacle or house of this life persecutions and afflictions are or ought to be as welcome guests as joy is expedient in that that is to come and herein is that ancient saying verefied that the way to Heaven is thorow a Hellish state of persecution therefore in thy highest aspirings let this be thy aim that Gods pleasure may be thine and take up thy Crosse and follow him not valuing