Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	heathen_a	let_v	publican_n	2,742	5	10.9981	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16557	The third part from S. Iohn Baptists nativitie to the last holy-day in the whole yeere dedicated vnto the right religious and resolute doctor, Mattheuu Sutcliffe, Deane of Exeter / by Iohn Boys ...	Boys, John, 1571-1625.	1615 (1615)	STC 3463.3; ESTC S728	114,320	152

he saw Peter weeping and with the same eyes he saw Nathanaell vnder the fig-tree Now the greatnesse of his exceeding rich mercies is amplified here by circumstances of the person and of the place and of the time By circumstance of person he saw and called Matthew a rich man a couetous rich man a couetous rich man in a corrūpt office Matthew the Publican Other Euangelists in relating this history cals him leui but he cals himselfe by that name he was best knowne he confessed his fault and acknowledged his folly stiling himselfe Matthew the Publican And this he did vnto Gods glory for the greater was his misery the greater was his Sauiours mercy the children of Israel payed no custome before their captiuity wherefore toll-gatherers as being subiect to many foule extorsions and oppressions were most odious officers among the Iewes in so much as Publicans and notorious malefactors are coupled vsually together in the gospell as if he refuse to heare the Church also let him be to thee as an heathen man and a Publican and Mat. 21. 31. Verily I say vnto you that the Publicans and the harlots shall goe before you into the kingdome of God and Luke 15. 1. Then resorted vnto him all the Publicans and sinners and in our present text why eateth your master with Publicans and sinners So that Publicans are ioyned sometime with heathens sometime with harlots alway with sinners But the goodnes of Christ is amplifyed more by circumstances of place and time for that he called Matthew sitting at the receit of custome he called Peter and Andrew while they were fishing Iames and Iohn while they were mending their nets hee called other while they were doing some good but O the deepenes of the riches of Christs vnspeakeable mercies hee called Matthew when he was doing hurt executing his hatefull office sitting at the receit of custome There be three degreees in sinne mentioned Psalm 1. 1. The first is walking in the counsell of the vngodly the second is standing in the way of sinners the third is sitting in the seat of the scornefull now Matthew the Publican had proceeded Doctor in his faculty he was seated in the chaire sitting at the receit of custome the which is worse then either walking in the counsell of the vngodly or standing in the way of sinners Hence we may learne not to despaire of other much lesse of our selues not of other albeit they be neuer so couetous misers and great oppressors Indeed Christ said it is easier for a Camel or as other read for a cable to goe thorough the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God but he doth adde withall and say with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible He can vn-twine a cable rope in euery cord and thred and so drawe it thorough the eye of a needle he can vndoe the cordes of vanity and cart-ropes of iniquity which hold couetous men from him and so make them as he did here Matthew to follow him He did vntwine Zacheus when he said behold Lord halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him fourefold and so Zacheus notwithstanding his Camels backe that is in former time his prodigious wealth entred into the straite gate of heauen And let no man euer despaire of himselfe seeing Christ called Matthew when he was doing of euill and the thiefe on the crosse Luke 23. when he was suffering for euill According to his name so is his praise Iesus is his name and he is a sauiour of his people comming into this world as hee protesteth and proueth in this Scripture not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance In Matthewes obedience to Christs call obserue with Ardens a threefold abrenunciation 1. Of his wickednes he arose namely from his old vnconscionable course vnto newnes of life 2. Of his wealth he left all Luke 5. 28. 3. Of his will he followed him and that as one writes celeriter laetanter conuenienter perseueranter 1. He followed Christ immediatly without delay for assoone as Christ had said follow me forthwith he arose and followed him 2. He followed Christ cheerefully without any murmuring or disputing who should execute his office or looke to his account It was in the worlds eye a great folly to leaue such a gainefull occupation a greater folly to forsake that which he had already got and the greatest of all to follow him who was so poore that he wanted a nest and an hole where to rest his head Mat. 8. 20. Yet Matthew beholding his Sauiour with eyes offaith and looking not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene simply and cheerefully followed him and in token hereof as Saint Luke reportes hee made him a great feast in his owne house 3. Matthew followed Christ conueniently because he left all and followed him all his worldly busines all his vnconscionable gaines all his corrupt affections and whatsoeuer hindred him in the way to God And herein he dealt not as prophane Porphirius and Iulian obiect vnaduisedly to forsake all things and to follow one which had nothing for Matthew doubtles had before seene many myracles of Christ and at this present he was also drawen by the holy spirit according to that of our Sauiour no man can come to me except the father which hath sent me drawe him And this spirit assured his spirit that Christ as God is all sufficient and a rewarder of such as seeke him and come vnto him Here the Gospell and Epistle meete Paul preached not the word for worldly gaine Matthew left all and followed Christ. He did not abandon all his estate for hee feasted Christ in his owne house but hee was willing to leaue the whole world to gaine that good which hee could neither prodere nor perdere 4. Matthew followed Christ constantly being first a Disciple then an Apostle afterward an Euangelist and last of all a Martyr as a Disciple he heard the Gospell of Christ as an Apostle he preached the Gospell of Christ as an Euangelist hee wrote the Gospell of Christ as a Martyr he suffered for the Gospell of Christ. He was not only a Disciple but an Apostle numbred among the twelue preaching the Gospell in Iudea and Aethiopia for I remember one saith of him Aethiopiam nigram doctrinâ fidei fecit candidam And that hee might preach vnto the whole world after his death he penned the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ c. In which as Euseb. Emisen obserueth he makes a great feast vnto Christ and that in sundry respects as 1. His Gospell is great as being written in Hebrewe the most ancient and most holy tongue 2. Great as being the