Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	good_a	sow_v	tare_n	2,063	5	12.8341	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25204	Decus & tutamen, or, Practical godliness the ornament and muniment of all religion being the subject of several sermons preached at Westminster upon Titus ii, 10 / by V. Alsop ...	Alsop, Vincent, 1629 or 30-1703.	1696 (1696)	Wing A2907; ESTC R16042	63,995	144

Decus Tutamen OR Practical Godliness THE ORNAMENT and MUNIMENT OF ALL RELIGION Being the Subject of several SERMONS Preached at WESTMINSTER UPON TITUS ii 10. By V. Alsop Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for John Barnes at the Crown in the Pall-Mall 1696. To all that Love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity especially to those who attend upon his Ministry Grace and Peace Beloved Brethren WHAT was once preached to your Ears is now presented to your Eyes accompanied with fervent Prayers that the God of all Grace would powerfully impress it upon your Hearts The importunity of Friends is a common Apology for publishing some Pieces which if Affection had not more prevail'd than Judgment might as well never have seen the Light How much of this I might plead to justify or excuse my appearing in Print upon this Subject many of you do know but I shall willingly wave those Reasons The Weight the Worth the Necessity of the Argument as they have been my strongest Inducements so are they all I shall offer for my Vindication The Age into which Sovereign Providence has cast our Lot does much boast of Light I wish that a proportionable measure of holy Heat had accompanied that Light that Grace Truth and Peace might have been the Glory of our Times But here we must bitterly lament that the holy Flame of Zeal for the Concerns of Jesus Christ that fervent Love to all that bear his Image in Righteousness and true Holiness has degenerated into or been expelled by another Fire not kindled from Heaven but if we may judge of the Cause by the Effects from a contrary Original The Spirit of Envy has almost eaten up holy Emulation and we have disputed so furiously about Truth that we have almost lost the other half of our Religion Charity The noise of Axes and Hammers in building the Temple has been as great as once it was in destroying it this Clamour has drowned the softer whispers of the Spirit of Holiness and Peace our Speculations about what is too high for our Reach and our Quarrels about what is too low for our serious Regard have insensibly worn out Practical Godliness and in the mean time Religion suffers its Enemies triumph it s few Cordial Friends mourn over it and suffer with it The Gospel of our blessed Saviour if it might have been heard would easily have compromised all our Differences but it has fared no better with Religion than with that charitable Person who interposing between two Friends engaged with drawn Swords was in the heat of passionate folly wounded by them both for an unkind Reward of his Kindness It is much to be feared that this will be the undeserved fate of whoever shall undertake to reconcile contending Friends to make them both his bitter Enemies for in an Age of Fiery mistaken Zeal he that is not Scalding Hot shall be censured for Lukewarm and not to be a Bigot will be to be reputed not a Christian The only Expedient I can recommend to you my beloved Brethren in this sad Case is To maintain Innocence in your own Souls Peace in your own Consciences to keep close to your Duty and if for endeavours of Love you must be so unhappy as to contract Enmity to retire with the Psalmist to your God Psal. cix 4. and give your selves unto Prayer But as the Holy Go●…pel of God our Saviour suffers unworthily by our Divisions and Contentions it suffers no less by our unsuitable Conversations which yet is but the evil Effect of an evil Cause the bitter Fruit of that poisonous Root For as when one part of the Natural Body grows great beyond its Proportion it robs the rest of their due Nourishment and Growth such is our deplorable Case we have furnish'd the Head so plentifully with Notions that we have starved the Members of their proper Supplies that they cannot perform their proper Operations We have laid out so much of our Zeal and Vigor upon Controversies that there 's little left to support the necessary things of Practical Religion Holiness towards God Repentance from dead Works and the exercise of good Works and a heavenly Conversation I Bless God from my Soul that most of you are of another Temper and Character though I cannot deny that the Enemy has studied to sow Tares among you and while we slept his Emissaries and Instruments have watch'd to bring in among you some Doctrines and Practices which would have Wounded if not mortally Stabbed our Holy Profession But blessed be the Great Superintendent of his Church who faithfully watched over you and against them and has prevented and defeated their subtle Malice It 's for the sake of humble sincere Ones principally that I have drawn up and sent forth these Papers who cannot perhaps wield a heavy Argument for the Cause of Christ and against its Opposers and yet their Integrity and Uprightness keeps them secure and the Grace of God on which they humbly and securely depend enables them to Live down all the Objections of Atheists Deists and Profane Persons by a regular and exemplary Conversation We Read of a Philosopher who when a subtle Sophister disputed zealously that there was no such thing as Motion in the World said nothing but rose up and walked You may possibly meet with such Profane Wretches who with great Noise and Clamour would bear you down that there 's nothing real nothing solid in Religion that its an empty ineffectual Notion a curious airy Speculation that has no power upon Mens Hearts no command over their Lives now if you shall meet with this importunate Clamour which is the best Argument they have say you nothing but rise up and Walk Let Men see your Holy Heavenly Conversation and this will silence all their Cavils and stop the Mouths of all their Objections better than you can do by fine force and Dint of Argument And indeed let us Dispute Write what and while we please nothing will vindicate Religion from the Reproaches thrown upon it by impudent Atheism but the Holy Walking of those that profess it And it 's a thousand pities that false Doctrine should be credited by a severe morose and rigid behaviour while Truth it self is blemish'd and brought into Contempt by a loose one Let me therefore Anticipate the following Discourse thus far as to assure you that the Credit of our Holy Religion can never be recovered without 1. A more Consciencious Sanctification of the Lord's Day all practical Religion Rises Falls Ebs Flows with that When a Generation of Men removed the Observation of that Day from Divine Institution and laid it upon the Churches Tradition or the Civil Sanction the repute of it sunk presently and the observation of it dwindled away to nothing 2. A more constant fixed Worshipping God in our Families As Personal Remisness will creep into the Family so will Family-Looseness easily infect the Churches It is in vain to Dream that Congregations will be Holy if