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	testament_n	write_v	6,343	5	6.0837	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95727	Practical piety, or, The pastor's last legacy to his beloved people directing how to walk with God in these apostatizing times. : With two most serious exhortatory epistles to satisfie the Christian readers, concerning the whole work. : To which is added morning and evening prayers for private families. / By that reverend divine, Mr. William Thomas, late rector of the Church of Ubley, in the County of Somerset, after his 44 years labours in the ministry in that place.	Thomas, William.	1681 (1681)	Wing T987B; ESTC R184982	206,212	270

though it concern Magistrates more then others yet all have need enough to nourish humility especially that are in any higher place and order and that he turn not aside from the commandement to the right hand or the left These being the reasons why Kings are required to read Scripture Who shall exempt himself from it for Are notall bound to fear the Lord yea all the Inhabitants of the world are to stand in awe of him And doth not the Scripture require of all to walk in all the wayes that God hath commanded without turning aside to the right hand or the left What is spoken therefore to the King doth for the same common reasons concern all as if a King be perswaded to eat and drink that he may have strength when he goeth on his way as Saul sometimes was no man sayes That belongs to a King and not to me but every man for the same reason eats and drinks likewise This is put out of question because there is an express command to gather men women and children to hear the Law read upon the very same account that the King is called to read it that is that they might learn to fear God and observe to do all the words of that Law It 's true that Great-men and Gentlemen have some greater cause in regard of their greater tentations to exercise themselves in the reading of Scripture as that their hearts may not be lift up though God knows that divers of them who need it most use it least the more they have to answer for but it no way followeth that because a man that hath a great journey to go had need to eat more as Elijah had that therefore he may let eating and drinking alone that stayes at home 3. It may further be added that a motive to perform a duty if it be common to all is a good plain proof that the duty belongs to all and so it is here for the King is encouraged to read the Law and to observe it by proposing to him this end That he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdom he and his children in the midst of Israel which is other-where assured to all the people of God on the same ground according to their place and quality and in the land which they possess Deut. 5. 33. 6. 2. Secondly The reading of Scripture is enjoyned on Ministers for to them it is said Give attendance to reading It is not said indeed to the reading of Scripture but though that be not expressed yet that it is meant appears by the following words to exhortation to doctrine that therefore is the reading principally at least intended which is helpful to a Minister for the two great parts of his Ministery Exhortation and Doctrine and what that is we find by the Apostle writing to Titus which applyeth it to the faithful Word and tells him that that Word is to be held fast and therefore to be read that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gain-sayers Object Great reason a Minister should read Scripture but that proves not that People are bound to do it His work lies there theirs other-where Answ It proves not indeed that they should give such and so much attendance to reading as a Minister ought to do but yet it proves sufficiently they should attend it because it belongs to all Christians as well though not as much as to a Minister to exhort and admonish which is done best in the words of Scripture yea they that have spent some good time in Religion ought to be teachers of others also I do not mean as intruding to the office of Preaching but in a way of charity and brotherly assistance And moreover since it belongs to Saints to contend for the faith committed to their trust it will follow from thence that they should have some convincing skill also for the better maintaining of the truth of God which is to be had by reading and searching the Word of God by which Aquila and Priscilla were enabled to instruct Apollo and that old Confessor spoken of in the Ecclesiastial Story to convince that subtile Philosopher that opposed Christianity in those times Thirdly The reading of Scripture is commanded the People of God generally for unto them it is said Remember the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgements The intent of which Scripture is this that since they were to be many years without Prophets to preach to them Malachi being the last Prophet of the Old Testament therefore that they might neither lose their Religion nor forget their consolation they should diligently read and study the Scriptures which are called the Law of Moses not as excluding the Prophets for under the name of the Law the Prophets are also contained insomuch that what was written in the Psalms and in the Prophet Isaiah is said to be written in the Law but as making the Law whereof the Prophets were the Interpreters and Appliers the sum of the Old Testament-doctrine to be remembered and therefore to be read the often reading thereof being the best way to keep it in mind and that by the generality of Gods people when their Teachers were gone Unto this we may add that when there were again Teachers in Israel yet our Saviour saith and he saith it to the Jews generally Search the Scriptures Joh. 5. 39. meaning the Scriptures of the Old Testament And they that are bound and commanded to search a Book are sure therewithal bound and commanded if they can to see and read it We say He 's well read in a Book that hath well searched it And for the New Testament and Gospel-Word the Apostles counsel and command to Christians is Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly Now though the Word may dwell plentifully in a good Hearer yet by hearing and reading both it must needs dwell in him more richly Experience shews that religious Readers are rich and ripe in Scripture-knowledge Thus for Scripture-commands Now for Scripture-reasons for Scripture-reading First The Scriptures are written for the use of the whole Church either for their use or to leave them without excuse and therefore it 's urg'd as a great aggravation of Israels sin I have written to himthe great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing God might have continued to make known his mind as at first he did by tradition and delivering his Will by word of mouth from one to another had it not been for this as for one reason that by writing the Word of God might be more exposed to the veiw of Ministers and People that both might read it and so the better study it and meditate upon it And wherefore did the Apostles write their Epistles to

and repeated are of special use and so may serve to recommend unto us both the writing and repeating of Sermons 1. The writing that being here prescribed and being so needful that what is preached may be rightly and fully repeated And therefore though the repeating be that which I intend to perswade here yet I shall speak something of and for the writing of Sermons because that is of such use for the Repetition and answer what is most considerably objected against it Object Writing hindereth hearing that is hearing with such attention and affection and giving up the whole man to it as there may be if Noting be laid aside and hearing be the only work Whereunto I answer That as it is not in my thoughts to bind every one to Noting so neither is it my mind and sense that any should be taken off from hearing with the best advantage I say with the best advantage all things considered for I look upon Hearing as a necessary duty and a special part of our obedience but upon Repeating as an Auxiliary Exercise and a part of our beneficial assistance Besides that divers cannot write and all that can write are not so able and apr for writing of Sermons Nor doth this prejudice and take off the present business which is Repetition for a diligent hearer may if he please and be so provident write what he hears immediately after he hath heard it and so repeat it or if he write not at all yet being able to retain it in his memory he may communicate it in Repetition by that ability as the words which the man of God had spoken to Jeroboam against his Altar were told and we may say repeated by the sons of the old Prophet unto their Father 1 King 13. 11. But here I shall offer to prevent the neglect of so great an Help as Writing is these Considerations and Advertisements 1. Let every man deal truly for the heart is deceitful above all things and whilest one pretends or perhaps intends a better hearing yet he may through the secret workings of corruption forbear noting because he is loth to take the pains which noting requires yea it 's possible because he is not willing to be noted to be a Sermon-noter that being a thing which some will look upon as too low for higher and more considerable Persons 2. Repetition is here spoken of in special as it is a Family-edifying exercise which if it be left to memory useth to be as defective as the memory is slippery or where there is less Zeal and Piety is less pleasing to be altogether omitted and that by the omission of writing which would both furnish the hearer for Repetition and make it minded and make it easie and so make it more willingly undertaken 3. Writing shews an estimation of what we hear and a resolution to preserve the remembrance of it As when Hezekiah would shew how he prized his cure and that it was in his heart to preserve the memory of it there was the writing of Hezekiah 4. As hearing without noting may more stir up affection so noting with hearing more prevents distractions which Satan by the variety of objects more easily raiseth and multiplyeth when the mind is not kept to the matter by the intention of the writer 5. Though by hearing without writing the heart may be more moved yet writing so imprints there that which is heard as that it is not so soon removed for writing hath with it a multiplyed thinking of and running over and over again in the inward thoughts that which is preached and heart till it be written down and so it sinks more deeply and leaves in the heart a more lasting impression 6. We are to hear for the time to come Now hearing alone is for present use but accompanyed with writing for after-use The Sermon written may be read and reveiwed a month or twelve months after yea it may remain for the use of others many years after we are dead Hence the Scripture when it would express the continuance of things and the way of that continuance saith This shall be written for the Generation to come Psal 102. 18. I do not say it will be thus if Book after Book be fill'd with Notes which few or none can read but the writer himself but thus it will be if what is written for present hastily be after written out legibly which because leisure will not permit many to do if we speak of copying out whole Sermons therefore I would advise Christians to an easier and shorter course and that is when they have noted largely to observe the whole and then cull out and write out fair the choisest passages which may be done more fully or more briefly as time will give leave and as the Sermons and Christians condition give cause and occasion By this means Posterity when they are in Heaven may reap the benefit of that which they heard delivered and were so careful to lay up yea by writing out briefly profitable and acceptable words of all sorts the surviving godly Reader will be a great gainer by things so useful and be much refresh'd also with the variety of them If it be objected That the case here was a special case because Jeremy was shut up and could not go to the House of the Lord and therefore is not to be drawn to common use To this I answer two things 1. That the case may quickly be such at any time as that which is described here For 1. No man knows how soon Ministers may be shut up as Jeremy here was that they cannot speak to their ordinary hearers And 2. Hearers know not how soon they may be shut up either by sickness or restraint that they cannot come to Ministers and therefore it 's wisdom to make use of the present liberty in writing down and laying up present Instructions that so though intercourse with Ministers be interrupted or removed yet their Sermons being as they say in black and white their former intercourse with them and hearing of them may in this way make some comfortable amends and serve for a profitable supply whereas if old Sermons be forgotten and new Sermons cannot be gotten Christians are like to be at a sad loss yea though there be printed Sermons to be had for howsoever they may be very profitable yet they may not be so sutable to the times and their state as those which they have heard and which perhaps were prepared at first with respect to their condition 2. I answer That in the course taken here to write from the mouth of Jeremy what was to be read by Baruch we are not only to consider the occasion but the end and use which was that by reading the words written in the Ears of all Judah they might thereby be moved to such Humiliation and Reformation as that the evil they heard