Selected quad for the lemma: honour_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
honour_n	abundant_a	body_n	member_n	1,662	5	10.0159	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17385	A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first Epistle generall of St. Peter VVherin are most judiciously and profitably handled such points of doctrine as naturally flow from the text. Together with a very usefull application thereof: and many good rules for a godly life. By Nicholas Byfield preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex. To which is now newly added an alphabeticall table, not formerly published.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter. aut; Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. Sermons upon the first chapter of the first Epistle generall of Peter. aut	1637 (1637)	STC 4212; ESTC S107139	978,571	754

free women altogether from sin in these frailties because since the fall the naturall defects are tainted and there is in them a speciall kinde of defectivenesse or infirmity which cleaves to their sexe which is not so usually in men or not accompanying the nature of men Quest. What are the things wherein women are more usually fraile or defective or infirme than men 1. In capacity and judgement They are not capable of so large a measure of knowledge as men in equall comparison nor so able to teach the depths and mysteries of knowledge 2. In respect of their insufficiencie for the greatest imploiments of life as that sexe is not ordinarily capable of the great services of God in Church and Common-wealth the workes cannot be done by women 3. They are apter to be seduced than men as the Apostle implies in the case of all women as well as Eve 1 Tim. 2.14 4. In respect of dependancies They cannot make shift for themselves their desire is naturally subject to men in respect of depending upon them for provision and protection Gen. 3. This weaknesse is stamped upon the whole sexe 5. In respect of their aptnesse to feares and amazement and other perturbations more unconstant and not so stable in heart as man 6. In respect of the discovery of their hearts and natures whether in good or evill It is harder to find out throughly the perfect disposition of a woman in good or evill than of men Solomon could find out the temper of one man among a thousand men but not the heart of one woman among so many and that I take to be the true sense of that place Ecol●s 7.28 29. compared with ver 25.27 7. In respect of their pronenesse to vanity and pride in apparell which I gather from this that all the expresse directions about apparell that I remember in Scripture are given rather to women than to men especially in the New Testament as 1 Tim. 2.9 1 Pet. 3.3 The Use may be first to give us occasion to magnifie the power and mercy of God His mercy that despiseth not his weake creatures but bestoweth the grace of life upon them His power in that he keeps them in life and preserveth his owne worke of grace unto the possession of eternall life Secondly it should stirre up women so much the more to use all the Ordinances of God and all helps to make themselves strong in the power of the gifts of grace especially they should get a strong faith in God that they may trust in the power of God that giveth strength to the weake Esay 40.29 31. 1 Pet. 3.5 It will be their greater glory if they can overcome their naturall weaknesses especially if they can excell men in the things of the kingdome of God as many times it comes to passe Thirdly all Christians should have those women in great estimation that have overcome their frailties and doe excell in knowledge and piety and mercy and trust in God Fourthly all women should be therefore the more humble and apt to feare and judge themselves and more willing to be taught or admonished and more frequent in prayer to God to help them and keep them and in particular they should be the more willing to be ruled by their husbands as knowing it is a mercy of God considering their weaknesse to give them husbands to support them and provide for them And finally they should be the more faithfull and diligent to doe all the good they can in domesticall affaires seeing by nature they are not fit to manage the greater and more publike services of God The third Doctrine concernes husbands and so they are taught from hence to give the more honour to their wives because of their naturall weaknesse For as it is in the naturall body those members of the body which we think lesse honourable upon them we bestow the more aboundant honour 1 Cor. 12.23 24. so it should be in the Oeconomicall body for the wife is unto the husband bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and this honour he should give her and shew it both by taking the more care to provide for her and by cherishing and encouraging her the more and by hiding and covering her frailties as much as he may and by not exacting more from her than she is able to performe and by helping her all he can by instruction or otherwise Only we must note that he is not bound to honour her the more for sinfull infirmities but for naturall defects How he must carry himselfe towards her in respect of sinfull infirmities or personall faults hath beene shewed before in the maner of his carriage towards her as a man of knowledge And thus of the first reason As being heires together of the grace of life In these words is contained the second reason taken from the generall dignity of Christians which also extends to Christian wives And concerning the dignity of Christians five things may be noted out of these words 1. The title of their dignitie They are heires 2. What they inherit Life 3. What the cause of this dignitie is viz. Grace 4. In what maner they possesse it viz. Together 5. The persons capable of it Woman as well as men From the coherence we may note That if women will have their husbands to honour them they must be religious women and true Christians that have grace as well as worldly portion God requires religion and grace in all wives and the rather should they be carefull to get grace and become truely religious because it was long of their sexe that sin came into the world and as by one womans bearing of a child salvation was brought againe into the world so should they every one in particular strive to recover their honour by expressing the sound power of a religious life in all faith and charitie and holinesse and sobrietie 1 Tim. 2.14 15. And besides what shall it profit wives to get them jointures on earth and husbands to provide for them while they live here if their soules and bodies perish when they die and lose the inheritance in heaven and perish they will if they get not true grace And further if they be gracious women if their husbands be so profane as not to make much of them yet they shall be greatly set by of God as was shewed vers 4. But on the other side if they be ignorant and irreligious women it is just with God to deprive them of the comforts of this life and to let their husbands neglect them or abuse them For though their husbands sin in so doing yet God is just in permitting such a thing for their punishment Secondly another doctrine may be noted from the coherence and that is That inheaven there shall bee no difference betweene husbands and wives but they shall bee all one in Christ alike heires of eternall life Which is to be noted the more to perswade them to submit themselves and

greatnesse with his Father by obtaining our requests at his hands For thereby the Father is glorified in his son and God loves us so much the better because wee love Christ and beleeve that he came from his Father and shew it by using him as our Mediator and indeed what need we any other to the King then the Kings son And thirdly it may comfort us in respect of the hope of preferment by his service we cannot serve a more honourable Lord. Many times if we serve earthly Princes they may neglect us For we seldome see all the followers of the greatest Princes come to preferment but if Princes on earth were never so honourable that they did purpose to exalt every one of their servants yet under that hope men may consume all their meanes and in the end die beggers because the Prince may dye before they get their preferment but it is not so with Christians in their service of Christ. For as for greatnesse he is the King of all kings and himselfe Lord of all lords so for well he never neglected any that served in truth and sincerity and besides he cannot die For hee hath life in himselfe and therefore blessed are they that serve him and trust in his goodnesse For he ever liveth to make request for 〈…〉 have ●●tten them to himselfe that where hee is there they may be also Thus of the maner of propounding The places or arguments of Consolation follow The first is taken from their regeneration which is amplified here 1. by the impulsive cause the abundant mercy of God 2. by the effect a lively hope 3. by the cause of merit or efficacy the resurrection of Iesus Christ. Two things may be noted from the coherence 1. the necessity of the new birth 2. the honor of it The necessity in that it is so chained and linked that it is apparant we can no way have mercy from God nor glory in heaven unlesse we be borne againe 2. The honor of it may appeare in that it is a worke that stands in relation to the mercy of God the glory of heaven the resurrection of Christ the power of God c. all which belong to this admirable worke of the new birth In the handling of these words I consider of them as they lye in order and so here are foure generall heads of doctrine to be thought of 1. The mercy of God 2. The regeneration of man 3. A lively hope 4. The resurrection of Christ Jesus Which according to his abundant mercy c. The main proposition is that there is abundance of mercy in God he is full of compassion and of great mercy his mercy is over all his workes It is so great it cannot be expressed The clouds may commend the extent of his faithfulnesse and the mountaines may shadow out his righteousnesse and the deepes resemble his judgements but who or what can expresse the excellencie of his goodnesse It cannot be fully discerned any way but in heaven Gods mercy is abundant 1. In the fountaine in himselfe there is an Ocean of mercy in God It is infinite in him as his nature is yea it is his nature it selfe to be so 2. In the streames and that either generally considered and so it flowes to all the creatures reasonable and unreasonable good and bad The whole earth is full of his goodnesse or more specially as it flowes to the faithfull Now Gods mercy is abundant to the faithfull 3. wayes 1. In the kindes of mercy for the Lord compasseth them about with variety of all sorts of mercy 2. In the extent of mercy Hee did not spend all his mercy on David or Abraham or the like but he keepes and reserves mercy for thousands even for all the thousands in all ages that beleeve with faithfull Abraham and will heare and doe all Gods will with obedient David He is plenteous in mercy to all that call upon him 3. In the continuance of mercy for his mercy is as himselfe everlasting and it must needs appeare to be so that God is wonderfull abundant in mercy because it is he that is the father of all the mercy in the world and it is he that requireth mercy in men The use that may be made of the meditation of Gods abundance of mercy may be both for instruction and consolation 1. For instruction two wayes principally For first it may teach us therefore to run unto God in all misery to seeke desire pray for waite for and trust upon his mercy Here is enough and therefore woe unto us if we will not seeke it when it may thus plentifully be had Our confusion is just if we neglect and forsake our owne mercy it being opened and offered in such plenty and secondly this should teach us how to shew mercy even to doe it in all possible abundance both for continuance and extent and for all the kindes both of corporall and spirituall mercies for we should bee mercif●ll as our heavenly father is mercifull But especially this doctrine is intended for the singular comfort of all humble and godly Christians and how can it but be comfortable if they consider how exceeding abundant it is 〈…〉 i● how ●●●der his pitty is how full his goodnesse is how constant and large his treasures of grace are how slow he is to anger how willing he is to forgive all sorts of sinnes yea and to multiply pardon too how he passeth by transgression and taketh away iniquity how wonderfully he is pleased in himselfe with sh●wing mercy and how he quieteth himselfe and rests in his love Ob. But some man may say that this is a doctrine of liberty Answ. It is not For this doctrine is restrained for that both if we respect godly men and if we respect wicked men If we respect godly men It is certaine that though the Lord will not deny his mercy or take away his goodnesse from them yet if they breake his commandements he will visite them with the rod and make them to know by his strokes how bitter● thing it is to abate of their care to feare and serve God 1. And for wicked men it is wonderfull cleare that the Lord for all this goodnesse in himselfe or unto good men will not by any meanes cleare the wicked If they blesse their hearts against his threatnings he will not be mercifull to them It is true that power and mercy belongeth to God yet it is as true that he will give to every man according to his worke they onely shall finde mercy that confesse and forsake their sinnes while they follow foolish vanities they forsake their owne mercies He that made them will not pitty them and he that formed them will not have mercy upon them God is gracious and mercifull slow to anger c. but it is onely to such

thing he would have kept safe Secondly seeing he is the Bishop of our soules we should learne not to give to any man above what is written seeing they are but stewards of his graces and servants under him Thirdly we should especially strive to be such as Christ may take the charge of us and may prove that we belong to his charge If we be of Christs charge then first we must heare his voice all our dayes with great attention and affection His sheepe heare his voice and the voice of a stranger they will not heare Iohn 16. Secondly we must be sure we have returned and repented us of our former wandrings else he is not the Bishop of our soules Thirdly we must resolve all our dayes to obey him that is thus declared to have the over-sight of us and be ruled by such messengers as he sends unto us in his name Bishops also and Ministers should here learne to know what a good worke it is to have the charge of soules under Christ and accordingly carry themselves with all faithfulnesse and diligence and justice and humility not Lording it over Gods heritage but as such as give account unto the chiefe Bishop at his comming 1 Pet. 5.2 3. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. and 3.1 They are but Christs Curates Lastly woe to such as are complained of to this Bishop there will be no escaping he will not be corrupted they may escape the punishment of earthly Bishops but they shall never escape the punishment of this heavenly Bishop Matth. 3.5 FINIS SERMONS UPON PART OF THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THE FIRST Epistle of St. PETER Being the last that were preached by the late faithfull and painefull Minister of Gods Word Nicolas Byfield VVherein Method Sense Doctrine and Use is with great variety of matter profitably handled and sundry heads of Divinitie largely discussed Published since the Authors death by WILLIAM GOUGE LONDON Printed by ROBERT YOUNG 1637. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR HORATIO VEERE KNIGHT LORD Veere of Tilbery and Generall of the English Forces in the service of the high and mighty Lords the States Generall of the united Provinces of the Netherlands And to his pious and vertuous Consort the Lady Mary Veere such increase of grace as may bring them to fulnesse of Glory Right Honourable THe Almighties gracious acceptation of such oblations as are brought to him encourageth sons of men to offer their Sacrifices on the Altar of his Grace Like ground of encouragement have I to lay this Oblation on the Altar of your Honours patronage Of your gracious acceptation thereof these reasons assure me 1. This Impe now presented to your Hon●urs is a twin to that Posthumus which was heretofore presented to and accepted of your Honours 2. This together with his other brothers was by their owne Father while he lived devoted to your Honours to divert them otherwaies would be plaine plagium 3. Your Honours did many waies manifest a very good respect to the forementioned Father of this Orphane 4. This Impe it selfe is a goodly Impe and giveth assured hope of doing much good to Gods Church 5. Your Honours high esteeme of all good and faithfull Ministers of their function of their labours and work●s is well knowne 6. Your Honours mutuall entire affection and sincere and sweet conversation and carriage one towards another is a lively representation and evident demonstration of the truth of that doctrine concerning Husband and Wife which is principally handled in this Treatise 7. Your Honour my good Lord hath all your dayes beene a valiant and faithfull Champion for the Church maintaining her safety and liberty with the perill of your owne life wherein though Communis Mars bellique casus sit incertus yet successe hath oft crowned your valour instance among other famous victories the incomparable conquest by your Honours more than ordinary courage obtained in New-port-field Can now doubt be made of your Honours favour in countenancing this child of the Church 8. Your Honour my good Lady was a diligent frequenter of his Ministery who preached these Sermons and hearing the distinct points when they were first out of the Pulpet uttered so approved them as oft you desired the publishing of them for they were Cygnean songs the last and sweetest of all 9. As the sacred Scriptures so good Commentaries thereon such as this is are a solace to your Honours in reading whereof you have manifested much delight Finally many and great are the favours and kindnesses which from time to time your Honours have done to the Publisher of this worke which as in duty hee is bound be willingly taketh this occasion in all humility with all thankfulnesse to acknowledge The premisses considered the said Publisher confidently resteth upon y●ur H●nours patronage and boweth his knees before the Throne of Grace for a mercifull Remembrance and bounti●ull Remuneration of that Goodnesse which your Honours have done to the Church of God to the poore members and faithfull Ministers thereof and in speciall to the Author of this Commentary yea and to the Publisher thereof Black-Friers London 25. Ian. 1625. Your Honours much obliged WILLIAM GOUGE AN EXPOSITION OF Part of the third Chapter of the first Epistle generall of Saint PETER 1 Pet. 3. 1 2 3. 1. Likewise let the Wives be subject to their Husbands that even they which obey not the Word may without the Word be won by the conversation of the Wives 2. While they behold your pure conversation which is with feare 3. Whose apparelling let it not be outward as with broided haire and gold put about or in putting on of apparell 4. But let the hid man of the heart be uncorrupt with a meek and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by FRom the thirteenth verse of the former Chapter to the eighth verse of this chapter the Apostle exhorts to such duties as concerne particular Christians and so either in the Common-wealth where he exhorts subjects from verse 13. to 18. or in the Family where he exhorts either servants verse 18. to the end of the former Chapter or wives and husbands in the first seven verses of this Chapter So that in these first seven verses the Apostle intreats of the duties betweene man and wife and first sets downe the wives duty from ver 1. to 7. and then the mens dutie in the seventh verse In laying downe the wives duty he proceeds in this order First he briefly propounds the service of her duty in the first words Wives be subject Secondly he expounds upon it by shewing divers particular things she must expresse in her conversation as Amiablenesse ver 1. Chastitie and Feare ver 2. Meeknesse ver 3 4. Then thirdly he confirmes all by two reasons both taken from example first of godly women in generall ver 5. secondly of Sarah in particular ver 6. Before I set upon the particular parts of the Text divers things would be noted in generall First in that this