Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	world_n	write_n	write_v	503	4	5.1932	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49459	The chief interest of man, or, A discourse of religion, clearly demonstrating the equity of the precepts of the Gospel, and how much the due observance thereof doth conduce to the happiness and well-being as well of humane societies as of particular persons by H. Lukin.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1665 (1665)	Wing L3473; ESTC R125	65,780	204

The chief Interest of Man Or A Discourse of RELIGION Clearly demonstrating The Equity of the Precepts of the Gospel and how much the due Observance thereof doth conduce to the happiness and well-being as well of Humane Societies As of Particular Persons By H. Lukin Suffer me a little and I will shew thee what I have yet to speak on Gods behalf Job 36.2 Dicam ego quid sentiam dicent fortè meliora doctiores Aug. contra Faustum London Printed by R.D. for T. Bassett under S. Dunstans Church in Fleetstreet 1665. THE PREFACE To the Reader AMongst so many books wherewith the World is filled it may justly be expected that none should obtrude more upon it without giving a fair account thereof unless they have attained to that repute for Wisdom which Job had chap. 29.21 c. that men give ear and wait and keep silence at their counsel waiting for it as for the rain opening their mouth wide as for the latter rain such need no Apology to bespeak a reception of their Labors but it is far from me to reckon my self of that number haud equidem tali me dignor honore yet I must confess it is not much that I have to say in my own defence The perswasion of Friends from an opinion of the usefulnesse of such Books as Men publish is such a common Apology that the world grows weary of it if I should say that scribunt indocti doctique was an old observation so that it is no new thing for Men of small Learning to write Books it might well be retorted that the World hath suffered so much by such Mens Writings that it is pity they should suffer any more by them It will be but a poor Plea to say that I have written but little and so shall put Men to the expence of very little time or money for the reading of it if the little which I have written may not probably be of some advantage to the World but this through the blessing of God I am not without hopes of if one sinner might hereby be converted from the error of his way I should account it an happy fruit and abundant recompence of my well intended endeavors but if the disobedient may not be hereby turned to the Wisdom of the just yet I hope the children of Wisdom will hereby be established and encouraged to hold fast their integrity be furnished with that wherewith they may put to silence the ignorance of foolish Men. If the Ethiopians paint Angels black and Devils white because they are black themselves Pride themselves in it as their beauty this makes not us to dislike our own complexion neither can they perswade us to wash our selves with Ink that we may be like them If therefore some Men glory in their shame and account it their honour to be like the Devil or hate holinesse wherein Men do most resemble God and bear his Image as it is said of the Basilisk that its enmity against Man is such that it will fly with rage upon the Picture of a Man let not this be a temptation to us to learn their wayes let them return to us let us not return to them Jer. 15.19 If our adversary should write a Book against us that I may allude to the words of Job c. 31.35 c. if it be of scorns and reproaches let us bind it to us as a Crown and say as David 2 Sam. 6.21 I will yet be more vile if to obey God and be like to him be to be vile but if he will encounter us in good earnest with serious arguments let us go near to him as a Prince and not fear having all the reasons that can be drawn from the authority of our Soveraign Lord and Law-giver from our own interest from equity ingenuity and gratitude on our side I shall not be very sollicitous or industrious to decline or anticipate the censures of others I know it is ordinarily supposed that Men of no name that have not that real worth which may make others take notice of them have that petty design in publishing such things as are more admired by themselves than by any body else to get themselves a name and to make themselves and their own supposed worth known to the World Let Men think of me as they please I hope there is none shall think more meanly of me than I do of my self and I am such an impartial judge of my own labors that I am so far from projecting thereby for any esteem or credit in the World that I should rather if that were my aim and design have held my peace which is the way for a fool to be counted wise Prov. 17.28 One thing I would advertise the Reader of that this Treatise was finished in another Nation after some years observations of the lives manners of such as in other parts of the World profess Christianity both Papists and Protestants the manner of whose conversation I was then better acquainted with than of those of our own Nation which I hope may suffice to free me from all suspicion of having any oblique aspect upon particular Persons or any particular sort of men or of calculating this Treatise only for our own Meridian and for our own times I know were it in other Languages it might indifferently serve for any place where the Gospel hath been Preached and might have had its use in the purest times which have been since the Christian name was known that little I have seen of the World will easily keep me from judging our own Nation the worst of any that profess Religon unless the priviledges which we enjoy above others do raise our guilt to a greater height and I am not so unacquainted with the History of former Ages as being surprized to cry out O tempora O mores or to make that unwise enquiry Eccles 7.10 what is the cause that the former dayes were better than these I confess I have sometimes been in Pauls case Act. 17.16 when I have observed amongst the generality of Christians in all places so much difference betwixt mens principles practices so many professing to know God which in works deny him this hath made me sometimes express my self with the greater passion and vehemency as knowing the terror of the Lord and grieved to see the misery that so many without repentance are hastning to for thougb I owe a special love to those of the household of faith yet I profess my self a Citizen of the universe and so have a charity and compassion towards all SECTION I. The Practical Atheist a greater wonder than the Speculative Atheist the unreasonableness of such as professing Religion do yet neglect the commands thereof and despise such as desire to be found in a strict observance of them A Spartan being invited to hear an Oration in commendation of Hercules replyed Ecquis eum vituperat Doth any body speak against him and some will

much it doth tend to the increase of Mens substance and stopping up those chinks and crannies at which other Mens Estates do run out On the other hand we shall find many sins both moral and natural causes of decays in mens Estates it is true all sin doth make men obnoxious to the curse but there are many sins which derive a curse upon Men which in a special manner like the rust devours their Riches particularly oppression and injustice the Prophet Jer. 17.11 elegantly shews how the designs of Men for setting up themselves thereby prove abortive as the Partridge sitteth upon eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth Riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and in the end shall be a fool Some Birds Men take care of to secure them against injuries and violence as those that are tame others there are whose uselesseness makes them neglected of all and so is their security others there are able to resist the violence of the Birds of prey the Partridge is none of these and so is most likely of all others to miscarry and prove a prey to violence so the unjust Oppressor may indeed gather Riches but he shall soon leave them himself is like the Grasse but his Glory is like the Flower of the Grass which oft falls off while the stalk stands and he shall out-live his Glory some Mens Glory flies away from the conception others from the womb others from the birth Hos 9.11 some mens designs fail while they are projecting and contriving them others while they are travelling with them or labouring to effect them they fade in their wayes others when they have just attained them and arrived at their end as the Rich Man but when he should solace himself in the enjoyment of them they shall be taken away like the Corn and the wine in the Harvest or vintage and in his end he shall be a fool that is according to the language of the Scripture wherein words of existence are put sometimes only for appearance and manifestation he shall appear to be a fool though formerly he seemed to be of the wise of the World that knew how to get most for himself in the scuffle of the World wherein almost every one scrambles to get as much as he can to himself to make his own heap biggest but increasing that which is not his own Hab. 2.6 but of right belongs to others he proves like the Dog in the fable that not content with what he had but catching at more lost all So Adultery through the curse of God is a devouring Fire that consumes and wasts a Mans substance So the Covetous unmerciful Man unfolds that riddle Prov. 11.24 he scatters by gathering whiles he retains his Riches when God requires them for the relief of the poor or by his extortion and oppression squeezeth out the sweat yea it may be the blood of the poor what is so either gotten or kept proves a canker to his Estate to devour it Yea there are many sins which are the natural causes of poverty and if God should leave men only to the genuine natural effects of their sin they would soon fade in their wayes as the Apostle saith Jam. 1.11 By means of a whorish Woman a Man is brought to a morsel of Bread her words are so ensnaring he is lost that is once entangled with them and it is a sad sign such a one is abandoned of God So the unmerciful Man and the Oppressor exposeth himself to the curses of the poor yea to their rage and violence if ever they have the opportunity of a popular tumult So how doth Pride like rust eat up Mens Silver and God Drowsiness cloaths a Man with rags so Gluttony and Drunkennesse feed upon Mens Estates till they have devoured them Envy and malice beget contentions and quarrels which cast Men into chargeable Law-suits If Men would in their Books of Accounts allow some pages for their Lusts and set down what they spend on them more than what Nature Reason Religion require and write so much laid out at such a time for Pride so much at another time for Pleasure and Voluptuousnesse so much for envy in a Law-suit to vex such a one so much for entertainments Buildings Gardens Festivals Pomp of Funerals I speak not against a decorum and moderation in such things answerable to a Mans rank and Estate but only against the superfluity and excesse in these things which Mens own Consciences will tell them ambition and vain glory put them upon let them set down so much lucrum cessans from idlenesse and negligence in their particular callings and they shall find such a retinue of Lusts which Religion would make them shake off and abandon as chargeable as a train of Servants though the old complaint should be true Quot servi tot Fures Notwithstanding all that I have said many have such a prejudice against Religion that they think if a Man begin seriously to addict himself thereto it soon spoils his thriving in the World As first it is observed by many that it takes up much of Mens time and many as soon as they begin to be so strict in matters of Religion neglect their particular callings To this I answer God is but little beholding to men that complain that his service takes up too much of their time there are none in the World amongst the devout orders that consecrate their time more entirely to God than thousands do to the Devil and to their own lusts yea how few are there that do not allow more time to Pride in adorning themselves to pleasure in vain sports and recreations to idle discourse to fruitlesse visits to superfluous sleep ease than God requires to be spent solely in his service he allows us time enough for our private affairs and particular callings God is not served only in prayer and reading and hearing his word but in the works of our ordinary callings Col. 3.13 What is there said of servants is true of others also in their several stations while they duely attend their lawful vocations It is true some Christians may not have prudence to share their time equally betwixt their general and particular callings but such are ordinarily observed to be young Converts as they are called that is such as have had but late acquaintance with the power and practice of Godlinesse and something is to be indulged to these who at first conversion many times find so much delight and sweetnesse in exercises of Religion that they know not how to leave them off We know under the Law he that had marryed a Wife was dispensed with the first year to stay at home and solace himself with her and not forced to go out to War Some again are ready to complain of the charge of Charity which Religion doth oblige a Man to To such I answer nature it self doth bind a Man to the same charity that Christianity