Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	prayer_n	read_v	word_n	2,960	5	4.5557	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34538	The kingdom of God among men a tract of the sound state of religion, or that Christianity which is described in the holy Scriptures and of the things that make for the security and increase thereof in the world, designing its more ample diffusion among the professed Christians of all sorts and its surer propagation to future ages : with The point of church-unity and schism discuss'd / by John Corbet.	Corbet, John, 1620-1680.	1679 (1679)	Wing C6258; ESTC R23940	125,145	296

state as a Jewel that hath its greatest lustre by the brightest light is maintain'd by the clearest knowledge In bright times the impostures and carnal designs of devised Doctrines and superstitious vanities will be made manifest and the hypocrisie being detected the Merchandize thereof will be quite marr'd In such times even the vulgar sort will expect from those in sacred Functions at least the appearance of a sober righteous and godly conversation with diligence in holy administrations Then the enemies of real Sanctity are put to hard shifts and forc'd to appear either in some colours of Truth or in the shame of their own nakedness For this cause the Followers of Truth make it their special interest as throughly to promote the most ample diffusion and universal increase of Knowledge among all ranks and sorts of Men as the Adverse partly seek to oppose and debase it We do not hereby mean an intermedling in difficult matters a smattering in controversies and certain curiosities of Opinions a store of unnecessary notions and of meer words and phrases which things are commonly erroneous and at the best but injudicious and puff up the half-witted and self-conceited and make them troublesom to themselves and others But that which is here commended for an universal increase and propagation is to understand the Principles of the Essential Truths of Christianity to see their evidence to judge rightly of their weight and worth and to view their coherence and besides these to know so much of other Truths as the different Capacities of Men will inable them for the bettering of their Knowledge in the Essentials The means of diffusing this Light are well known as the constant Preaching of the Word and the opening of the Principles of Religion in a due form of Cathechism the strict observation of the Lords Day repetition of Sermons ●…ious Conferences reading the Word and Prayer in Families profitable Communication among neighbour-Christians in their daily converse the spreading of practical Books written by Men of sound judgment and Ministers private applications to those of their own Charges with prudence and meekness For the same end that main Principle of Protestanism the judgment of Discretion as ●elonging to all Christians is to be asserted and ●…indicated against that Popish and brutish Do●…trine of implicit Faith in the Church's de●…rminations This is not to subject matters of ●aith to a private Spirit but to refer them to ●…e divine Authority of the holy Scriptures to ●…e apprehended in the due and right use of ●eason which is a publick and evident thing ●…d lies open to the tryal and judgment of all Men. And to Men of sober minds serious for the saving of their own Souls the Analogy of Faith in the current of Scripture is easily discernable Moreover the general increase of Knowledge lies much in the ingenuous Education and condition of the common People in opposition to sordidness slavery and brutish rudeness Though some look upon the vulgar sort with contempt and seem to value them no more than brute Animals and think it enough that their Governors understand and consider for them and not they for themselves yet Christ hath shed his Blood as much for the redemption of that Sort as of the Noble and Mighty and Prudent and he hath made no difference between the one and the other in the conditions of Salvation and in the priviledges and ordinances of his Kingdom As for the receiving of the Grace of God the Scripture casts the advantage on the poorer and meaner side Not many wise Men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called was the observation of St. Paul and St. James witnesseth that God hath chosen the Poor of this world rich in Faith and Heirs of his Kingdom And those whom God hath chosen must needs be instructed in his Will That reasonable service that he requires none can perform without Knowledge Ignorance is opposite to the nature and being of true Christian Piety which is not at all where it is not received with understanding This general increase of Knowledge hath fallen under a great suspicion of evil and it may be under the jealousie of Rulers as disposing Men to Sedition Rebellion Herisie and Schism But how great a reproach is hereby cast upon human Nature or political Government or both that the more rationally apprehensive the Body of a People are they are so much the more ungovernable as if Government could not stand with the proper dignity and felicity of human Nature What manner of civil State is that which degrades the Subjects from Men to Beasts for a more absolute Dominion over them What manner of Christian Church is that which to prevent Heresie and Schism takes order that its Members be no Christians It is an unchristian inhuman policy in Church or State the foundation whereof is laid in the Peoples ignorance As for the true interest of Rulers it is not weakened but strengthened by their Peoples knowledge which in its right and proper tendency makes them more conscientious and however more circumspect and considerate and consequently more easily manageable by a just and prudent Government But gross ignorance tends to make them barbarous and belluine and in their mutinies and discontents uncounsellable and untameable and therefore very incongruous to a State governed by the Principles of Christianity or Humanity CHAP. XX. The advantage of Human Learning to the same end THough Religion rests not on human Learning as its main support yet it seeks and claims the necessary help thereof Those whom God designs for eminent service he indues with eminent gifts either by means or miracle and he gives every intrusted Servant a measure answerable to his degree The Apostles who laid the foundation were wise Master-builders and surely it was not the mind of Christ that Wisdom should die with them when he settled his Church to indure throughout all Ages and promised to be with it to the end of the World It is said indeed that the foolishness of God is wiser than Men and the weakness of God is stronger than Men. But that which is so called is not foolishness and weakness indeed but only so accounted by the pride of carnal Wisdom In this Learned age the Antichristian State in Christendom is forced to advance Learning in its own defence And now without Learning either divinely inspired or acquired by means we cannot defend our selves against it Wherefore to destroy the supports of Learning is the way to subvert Religion Yea though we were not ingaged by such strength of the Adversary to provide for our own defence yet solid human Learning doth of it self notably advance Divine Truth The Learning that was spread over the World in the primitive times of Christianity apparently made way for that sudden and ample spreading of the Gospel And the Reviving thereof after an universal decay no less apparently made way for the breaking forth of this clearer Light of the Gospel

holy In the first times of Christianity the Scripture makes mention of Churches that were in particular houses teaching that Christian families should resemble Churches for piety and godly order By Family-godliness Religion thrives exceedingly and decays as much by the neglect thereof By Domestick instruction knowledge is much increased For this private particular Teaching is apt to be more heeded than that which is publick and general and persons are hereby prepared to attend with profit upon the publick Preaching Good principles are infused and impressions of good are made upon those that live under such government And where much may not be wrought at present towards conversion something may stick upon them which may afterwards appear when the grace of God shall visit them more powerfully Moreover National and Church Reformation should here begin Nations will be wicked and Churches corrupt while families remain disordered but by the reformation of these lesser Societies the larger are easily reformed as the whole street is made clean where every one will sweep his own door which is but an easie task It were most desirable that houses of eminent persons were exemplary in this kind as it appears King Davids was by that profession I will walk within my house with a perfect heart I will not know a wicked person he that walketh in a perfect way shall serve me But it is lamentable that in so many families of professed Christians of high and low degree wickedness carries it with a high hand in drunkenness swearing cursing open profanation of the Lords day in hatred of Godliness and contempt of Gods ordinances and that in many others free from debauchedness and open lewdness there is no face Religion no divine Worship performed no Godly discipline no instruction in the way of Godliness observed Should any professing subjection to God maintain under his charge and government an open Rebellion against God or at least a totall neglect of him Should not God rule where his Servant rules Wherefore it is the proper work of Christian housholders in their several houses to offer Prayers and praises to God dayly both Morning and Evening as the dayly Sacrifice to Sanctifie the Lords day in Prayer singing of Psalms reading the Scriptures and other holy Books in repeating Sermons instructing Children and Servants and in taking account of their diligence and proficiency under the means of Grace and this to be done not formally and customarily but conscienciously in good carnest and to good effect It is their charge also to hold a prudent hand over children in their Minority and not to indulge them in a course of idleness sensual pleasure or any inordinate liberty also to make intercession to God for those under their tuition to allow Servants time for secret duty lastly to purge their Families of sinfull disorders and to remove scandals as carefully as the Israelites cleansed their houses from Leaven at the time of the Passover As the Religious care of Superiors so the submission and teachableness of inferiors is injoyned Children Servants and Sojourners in Godly families being come into the Lords heritage and portion and under his special protection and the dispensation of his grace should not think it a yoke of bondage to live under such a Discipline and to be held unto such exercies but should improve the advantage and be followers of whatsoever is good and praise-worthy And whatsoever imperfections they find therein they should not malignantly aggravate the same but bless God for the good and consider the defects as the remainders of human weakness CHAP. VIII Private mutual Exhortations Pious discourse and edifying Conversation IT is also of great advantage when Christian people are inured in the way of Religious converse and discourse for edification For by this means they propagate the knowledge and love of the truth and keep themselves in Spiritual life and vigor and daily building up one another on their most holy faith advance heaven-ward And it is as comely as advantageous The royal Prophet understood what was seemly and worthy of him in his conversation and he saith I will talk of thy commandments before Princes and not be ashamed Is it not seemly for those that are risen with Christ to speak of the things above and for Fellowtravell rs towards the heavenly Kingdom to mention the affairs of their own country It is also sweet and lovely a partaking of that grace that was poured into Christs lips and it is pleasant to all such as savour the things of God Yea are not Converts bound by all means to seek the conversion of others We have received this holy commandment Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good for the use of edifying that it may administer grace to the hearers Indeed holy language proceeding from the mouths of Scandalous persons or detected hypocrites is disgraced and loseth its savour If affectation and vanity appear therein it hath not so sweet a relish But this can be no disparagement to gracious words which holy and humble men of inoffensive lives speak feelingly from the abundance of the heart and those that judge them hypocrites God will judge Moreover honest minds may be sometimes guilty of imprudence and thereby occasion some disgust and make that which is good and wholsom to be unacceptable and ineffectual Nevertheless t is a bad matter for any one from the baseness of some Hypocrites and the weakness of good Christians to take occasion of pouring out contempt upon this godly Practice Yea whosoever gives a check to it upon pretence of its unseasonableness and impertinency at some times are not well advised for the interest of true Religion because for one that is overforward herein a hundred are too backward and that among the Wise and Able who might reap a harvest of much good if they were not too shie or sluggish The most have need rather of the spur than the bridle in this case Wherefore discretion will mind the season in which every thing is beautifull and not inconsiderately force Discourse and run on therein when it will not be entertained as in the set times of other Mens sports or business Nor will it press any beyond due measure and what they can well receive lest that which in it self is precious become nauseous or untastfull Opportunity and leasure will sufficiently offer it self for set and solemn conference and besides this there will be room almost continually to put in by the by a word that may take effect How forcible are right words It hath sometimes come to pass that a short Saying occasionally let fall upon a prepared mind hath entred deep and stuck close Yea that which takes not much at present may be remembred and have its effect after a long time and then be matter of much Blessing and Praise The counsel of the wise Preacher looks this way In the morning sow thy seed in the evening with-hold not thy hand for thou