Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	new_a	prophet_n	testament_n	3,332	5	7.9706	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57163	A sermon touching the use of humane learning preached in Mercers-Chappel at the funeral of that learned gentleman, Mr. John Langley, late school-master of Pauls School in London, on the 21 day of September, 1657 / by Ed. Reynolds ...	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1287; ESTC R9227	19,525	40

them and render them as learned men great ornaments to their generation as many harmful herbs do bear beautiful flowers and are upon that account special ornaments to the Gardens were they grow Goodly Statues of Gold or Silver though dead though hollow and without heart or vital parts are yet of great value and special honor to the places where erected Such are even prophane Learned men in regard of their Learning Secondly It is useful unto them to convince them of Gods glory and greatness of his Soveraignty and Will and so if it be not praeexercitamentum as Clemens Alexandrinus calleth it unto the more comfortable knowledge of him out of his Word namely to kindle in them a desire to know more of so great a God from thence it will render them without excuse for abusing the knowledge which they have Rom. 1.19 20. Thirdly It is by accident useful another way viz. by honest and assiduous labours in the pursuit of Learning to keep them from the Temptations of divers lusts which by a loose and an idle life would be more ready to assault them If David had been at his study when he was on his house top he had not been tempted unto Adultery Fourthly It makes them thus adorned serviceable to humane Society Singular use have all Ages had of the learned labors of prophane Historians Philosophers Poets Orators Mathematicians Physitians Artists in divers kinds And● it is a comfort to any man to live to some good purpose and to be serviceable to his own and future generations Fifthly They are hereby useful to the Church of God That God who can make use of the sins of men to do his people good by them as of Iosephs Brethren to make way by s●●●ng him unto the safety of Israel and his Family can make use of the gifts and tallents he bestows on wicked men for the service of good men The hands of those that did themselves perish in the Flood were imploied in building the Ark for Noah and his Family It is true very often wicked men do use their learning against God as they do all other his good blessings Learned wickedness is Arm●ta● nequitia such learning degenerates into Pride Arrogance Scorn Atheism Heresie contempt of godliness as Philosophers are called by the Fathers Haereticorum patriarchae but all this is accidental and the fruit of lust Yet as a malignant Planet when in conjunction with a good one may have a benign influence so it doth often fall out that they who are by sin enemies may by learning be useful to the Church The Jews are bitter enemies to Christ yet God hath by their care preserved the old Scriptures from danger of corruption 2. In regard of Holy men First Though Learning be much inferior to Holiness There are learned Devils there cannot be holy Devils for Holiness is the character of celestial not of infernal Angels Deut. 33.2 yet in Holy men Learning is a rare Ornament and accession as the golden Ring to the Gem which is in it Like the marriage of an holy David to a beautiful Abigail Secondly It enableth them to do the more service unto the Church of God and the Truths of Religion Every good gift sanctified is in such a way useful to the Church as the proper nature and excellency of the gift doth admit Sanctified Wit beautifies Religion sanctified Reason defends it sanctified power protects it sanctified Elocution perswades others to the love of it As different gifts of the people did with a different value serve the Tabernacle the stones of the Ephod more pretious then the Badgers skins so though every good man is ready to offer willingly to the service of the Church yet great difference between the learning of a Paul or the elequence of an Apollo or the power of a Constantine or the acuteness of an Austin or the courage of an Athanasius and the ordinary qualifications of inferior good men Thirdly It enableth them to procure more favor and to bring more reputation unto Religion by the greatness of parts wherein they may be otherwise serviceable unto them with whom it concerneth Religion to have the honour thereof preserved God is pleased in his holy providence to make other interests sometimes a preservative unto Religion where it self is not immediately and per se regarded Ahasuerus was amorous and uxorious and that induced him to favour the Jews whose worship he cared not for Thus it is useful in regard of holy men 3. In regard of the Church and truth of Religion It is useful as an Handmaid in a way of attendance thereupon and subserviency thereunto several ways First Hereby the antient Fathers of the Church were furnished to confute the Pagan and Idolatrous worship of the Heathens out of their own Writers as Paul did the Idolatry of Athens by the inscription of their own Altar Act. 17 23. As David killed Goliah with his own Sword as a tree is cut down by an Axe the helve whereof was made out of a bough of the same tree this course Origin Clem. Alex. Iustin Eusebius Tertullian Minutius Felix and many others of the Antients have taken as likewise to shew that many doctrines of the Scripture have been owned even by prophane Writers One God by Plato one first Cause by Aristotle Divine Providence by Cicero the last conflagration by the Stoicks c. Secondly Hereby we shame Christians when out of prophane Writers we let them understand of the continency justice temperance meekness clemency and other amiable moral Vertues of Heathen men which they having abundantly more means come so exceeding short of and that Fabritius Aristides Antoninus Epictetus and many other vertuous Heathens shall rise up in judgement against them Thirdly Scriptures have much of Poetry Philosophy Mathematicks Law● Antiquities and customs of other Countries in them in the understanding of which by secular Learning we may be much assisted Physicks in Genesis Ethicks in Proverbs Logick in the disputations of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles Allusions to the natures of Beasts Sheep Goats Wolves Lions Doves c. Many allusions in the Books of Ezra Nehemiah and Esther to the customs of the Persians many passages in the Prophets illustrable out of the Histories of the times and places to which they refer many expressions in the New Testament best explicable out of the Roman Laws and Antiquities Many passages exquisitely parallel'd in humane Authors and receiving much light from them as that learned and good man Mr. Gataker hath observed Fourthly The Histories of the Scriptures and the Miracles of Moses of Christ and his Apostles may even out of Heathen Writers be confirmed and a testimony from Adversaries is of great validity this hath been largely and learnedly proved by Mornay and Grotius in their Books de veritate Christianae Religionis Fifthly The knowledge of Times by the Olympiads the fasti Consulares and other standing ways of computation