Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	old_a	prophet_n	testament_n	5,085	5	8.1969	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61254	A treatise of God's government and of the justice of his present dispensations in this world by the pious, learned and most eloquent Salvian ... ; translated from the Latin by R.T. ... ; with a preface by the Reverend Mr. Wagstaffe.; De gubernatione Dei. English	Salvian, of Marseilles, ca. 400-ca. 480.; R. T., Presbyter of the Church of England.; Wagstaffe, Thomas, 1645-1712.	1700 (1700)	Wing S519; ESTC R16712	155,065	281

another Weak What the Cause is why God orders Things thus I do not understand but it is instead of a thousand Reasons to me that I can shew that all this is order'd by God himself For as God is infinitely above all Humane Reason so it is to me more than all the Reasons in the World that I know that God does it So that in this Matter there is no need of producing any thing new for when we say that God is the Author 't is as sufficient as a Million of Reasons Neither should we in these Cases which depend on God's Will take the Liberty of Saying that this is Just and that is unjust because whatsoever you see and are convinc'd of to be done by God you ought of necessity to confess to be the highest Justice Now all this might be quickly and with strength of Reason said concerning God's Government and Judgment For 't is not at all necessary that I should offer to prove that by Arguments which is more than prov'd since God has been pleas'd to declare that it is so And therefore when we read that God has said that he does always behold the Earth for that very Reason we prove that he does behold it since He himself has told us that he does so So when we read that he rules all things that he has made we are from thence certain that he does rule them because he testifies that he does so Thus when we read that he dispenseth all things by a present Judgment 't is manifest and plain to us that he does exercise such Judgment because we have his Affirmation for it All other to wit Humane Assertions stand in need of Reasons and Witnesses to support them But God's Word is its own witness For whatsoever is spoken by perfect Truth it self must of necessity be a most perfect Testimony of Truth However notwithstanding all this since God has been pleas'd by the holy Scriptures to give us a Knowledge as it were of the Secrets of his own Mind for the Oracles of sacred Scripture are in some Sense the Mind of God I shall not conceal whatsoever God has thought fit should be either known or declared by his Servants only one thing I desire to know before I begin whether I am to argue with Christians or with Pagans If it be with Christians I do not at all doubt but I shall prove my Point but if with Pagans I scorn to offer at it not that I want sufficient Arguments but that I have no hopes they will be ever the better for what I say For pains and labour are thrown away upon an obstinate Hearer that will never be convinc'd However since I believe there is no one who goes under the Name of a Christian who would not willingly be thought one I will deal with him as with a Christian And altho' any one should be tainted with impious and paganish Infidelity 't is enough for me if what I offer be approv'd of by the Christian II. Your Objection then is how come we Christians who believe in God to be more miserable than other Men I could give a sufficient Answer to your Question from the Words the Apostle uses to the Churches That 1 Thes 3. v. 3. no man should be moved by affliction for your selves know that we are appointed thereunto And therefore seeing the Apostle tells that we are call'd by God that we should endure Afflictions Misery and Distress what wonder is it that we suffer all manner of Evil since it is the greatest part of our Warfare to do so But there are very few who will relish this Doctrine but rather think that as the Christians are more religious than other Sects so they ought to receive at the hand of God as a Reward of their Faith that they should be more Powerful than other Men For the present let us aquiesce in this Opinion and Judgment Of what Faith is And let us consider what it is to believe in God Faithfully For we who would have the Reward of our Faith in this World to be so very Ample ought at least to bestow some Thoughts what Sort of Believing or Faith this ought to be What then is Faith or the Act of Believing I take it to be that a Man faithfully believe in Christ that is that he be faithful to God and sincerely keep his Commandments For as the Servants and Stewards of Great Men who are entrusted with all their Master's Goods and Stores can never be esteem'd faithful if they squander what was committed to their Care so are Christian Men unfaithful if they spoil the Goods assign'd them by their God But you ask me it may be what those Goods are that God has put in a Christian's Trust What can they be but all those things by which we gain our Belief that is those very Things by which we are Christians As first the Law then the Prophets thirdly the Gospels fourthly the Apostolical Thus the Doctrine of Baptism and Laying on of Hands are join'd Writings and lastly the Gift of Regeneration the Grace of holy Baptism and the b Confirmation so call'd by the Fathers from the Anointing at that time used in it Unction of sacred Chrism For as formerly among the Jews God's own People when after the Judges the Government became Regal God used to advance some particular Heb. 6. v. 2. chosen Persons to the Throne by the Ceremony of Anointing so all Christians when after the c After Confirmation Ecclesiastical Anointing they have perform'd all God's Commandments should be advanced to the Kingdom of Heaven there to receive the Reward of all their Labours Seeing then these are the Things by which our Faith is manifested let us see who it is that so keeps these sacred Treasures of his Faith that he may be call'd truly faithful For as I said before he who do's not keep what is committed to his Trust is unfaithful How few or none are faithful towards God And truly I do not enquire whether he perform all things commanded in the Old and New Testaments I will pass by the Punishments of the Old Law all the Threatnings of the Prophets and which yet cannot be altogether pass'd by the severer Discipline Part of the Apostles Books and the Gospel Doctrines of Perfection I only desire to know who it is obeys even a very few of God's Commandments neither do I mean those which many deny so far as even to detest them For such is the Respect and Honour we now a days pay to God that what parts of Devotion we think not fit to practise our selves we hate to see in others For who can now endure to hear that Saying of our Saviour which bids us take no thought for the Morrow Who takes Matth. 6. v. 34. notice of that which bids us be content with only one Coat Who regards the Advice of going Matth. 10. bare-foot or indeed who is there cares to