Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	john_n	sir_n	thomas_n	12,845	5	10.3056	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10556	Faith and good vvorkes vnited in a sermon preached at the Spittle vpon VVednesday in Easter weeke, 1630. By Richard Reeks minister of the word at Little Ilford, in Essex.	Reeks, Richard.	1630 (1630)	STC 20828; ESTC S115772	46,778	68

FAITH AND GOOD VVORKES Vnited IN A SERMON PREACHED at the Spittle vpon Wednesday in Easter weeke 1630. By RICHARD REEKS Minister of the word at Little Ilford in Essex LONDON Printed by THOMAS HARPER for IOHN HARRIGAT and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Holy Lambe in Pater Noster Row MDCXXX TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR THOMAS FANSHAVV Knight Grace and Glory Right Worshipfull I Haue made bold to dedicate this Sermon to you for that as your affection to Religion loue to learning hatred of superstition and schisme hath rightly honored you so also you proceed euery way to adorne your eminent calling Praerogativam generis similitudo morum magis sibi vendicat quàm ordo maiorum The congruity of manners not the pedegree of ancestors hath the prerogatiue of noble birth wherein although you may plead both yet you are more dignified by the former The Lord hath exalted you to eminent place in the Commonwealth wherein you haue approoued your selfe faithfull to God and his Church so that you are of the number of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agapet which are able to doe good not which need good to bee donne vnto That therefore which is herein required as touching doing good in this contemplatiue but cold age you haue both in generall and particular so well performed that you stand as a Lampe burning and light shining vnto others to follow your worthy example wherein nothing remaineth but that you be found faithfull as you haue beene vnto death that God may giue vnto you a crowne of life such shall the prayers of him be for you and yours which resteth Your worships in the best seruice euer to be commanded RICHARD REEKS Auspicante Deo Textus legitur in Psalmo xxxvij vers 3. Trust in the Lord and doe good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed THere is no faith where there is either meanes or hopes difficulties and impossibilities are the true obiects of beleefe Gods charges are oftentimes harsh in the beginnings and proceeding but in the conclusion alwayes comfortable God deferres on purpose that our trials may be perfect our deliuerance wellcome our recompence glorious This knew the holy Psalmist the Prophet Dauid right well and therefore through more then much experience penned this Consolatory Song or Psalme as it plainly appeareth by the argument of it throughout Wherein the Princely Prophet most grauely preuenteth many distrustfull doubts and feares which might in the contemplation of Christianity the comparison of the same with the present gliding delight of the wicked at any time arise in the minds of Gods seruants and followers Here by the way it may bee easie to obserue how hard a thing it is to be a Christian In this respect his meditation affording him not more griefe then wonder And here to keepe his station is hard but to remoue harder One while he scarce restraineth his vnruly desires from euill ofter can finde no list to good sometime he purposeth well and when those thoughts not his begin to lift him from the earth loe hee that rules in the ayre stoops vpon him with powerfull temptations or the world puls him downe with a sweet violence so that it is hard to say whether he be forced or perswaded to yeeld here is much weaknesse more trechery good duties seeme harsh and can hardly escape the repulse or delay of excuses and not without much strife grow to any rellish of pleasure and at the best cannot auoid the mixture of many infirmities But this is not all O God! what aduersaries hast thou prouided for vs weake men What difficulties What encounters Malitious and subtle spirits an alluring world a Serpentine and stubborne nature distrustfull feare neither the least nor last enemie of mankind which though our eyes behold yet with such amazement because crossing carnall reason that from hence ariseth eyther a slauish feare whereby when we see the number and the happinesse of the wicked we like cowardly Israelites are ready to flie and plead their measure for our feare who is able to stand before the sons of Anak Or if not feare so that as we can we weakly resist yet are we foyled with indignation and enuie fretting our selues because of the vngodly and being malicious against the euill doers vers 1. Or which is worst of all heereby we are so stupified that fayth for a while seeming not to haue any being impious and prophane Atheisme stealing on vs maketh this question whether there bee a God or whether blinde chance and fatall necessity and fortune doe not hand ouer head moderate all things heere below So that at some time or other it is hard euen for a beleeuer not to be an Infidell at least in conceit looking carnally to haue God at a bent and if hee come not at a call how easie to cast him off and to betake vs to our owne no lesse idolatrous then ridiculous shifts like the Chinois whipping their gods when they answer not Whereas as the Prophet heere exhorteth his holy ones wait long and seeke him and not onely in their sinking but from the bottome of the deepes call vpon him and though hee kill them still put their trust in him To which purpose in this text is sayd Trust thou in the Lord c. It is not my purpose to spend any time in speaking concerning the authour of this sacred hymne who as it appeareth by the argument of it was Dauid the King neyther will I insist vpon that excellent order Alphabetically heere vsed for the auoyding of tedious prolixity according to the number of the Hebrew letters The Hebrewes in their songs as it might be shewed did follow the method Alphabeticall as some thinke heereby to helpe the memory Others as Vatab. tell vs there is no certayne reason of this versifying Apparet vulgatam carminis rationem fuisse It appeares to be an ancient and vulgar custome Others as Hierom auerre that they were written in Saphick verses to which purpose hee alleadgeth Origen and Philo. Others suppose this order was vsed not onely to help the memory but also to note the worthinesse of the matter And this last opinion may we in this place first of all incline vnto this Psalme being Alphabetum quoddam pijs omnibus discendum vt nouerint vbi sita sit foelicitas beatitudo as Vatab. elsewhere Heere the care of the holy Ghost is especially to bee noted for mans saluation not onely to make the way most plaine for vnderstanding but also the Scriptures as familiar as our A. B. C. for our best conseruing and retayning in our memory So that this Psalme is like Habakuks vision he that runneth may read a lecture of comfort in euery letter and may moreouer well remember what he readeth But what should I stay on that of S. Hierom. in his epistle to Paulus Vrbicus diuiding the whole Alphabet into seuen connexions interpreteth the two and twenty