Selected quad for the lemma: honour_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
honour_n	due_n	fear_n	tribute_n	1,274	5	10.2822	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60455	A sermon preached in St. Saviour's Church in Dartmouth, July 24th. anno Dom. 1698 Together with some refections on the opinion of those, who affirm, that the only difference between the Church and the meeting-house, is that of a few ceremonies. In a letter to a friend. By Humfry Smith, M.A.	Smith, Humphry, b. 1654 or 5.	1698 (1698)	Wing S4086; ESTC R224030	30,983	72

he is Merciful A thing which our blessed Saviour particularly requires from us in his Sermon on the Mount Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them Mat. 5. 44 4● which dispitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust And then a little after Be Ve●se 48. ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Some are of the Opinion too that Good here is to be taken for that perfect Exemplar or pattern of goodness Our Lord Christ Who came to propose to the imitation of mankind in his own person and actions the highest perfection of Vertue And to be followers of him is to walk by that pattern expressed in the Gospel as near as possibly we can to put on his patience his love his humility and all the rest of those Divine Graces which adorned his incomparable life as he exhorts us himself to learn of him who was meek and lowly in heart Mat. 11. 29. Again Good may be here taken for the Idea or Rule of goodness which the Law of God presents us with that Divine Rule which we are to settle in our minds and to have our eyes still at in all the circumstances of our Life The Revelations which God hath been pleas'd to make from Heaven have this great end namely to give us a true and full account of that Goodness which our great Creator Design'd us for This we are by a diligent Enquiry and Meditation to be familiarly acquainted with and to have a due regard unto in all our Actions In all those mazes and perplexities of affairs where profit seems to call us one way and safety or pleasure another In all those various Accidents and Changes to which we are liable Our Rule we must have ●ixt before our Eyes and by that resolve to be guided We are not to enquire what is advantagious or what is agreeable to us but what is just and what is good and that come what will come resolve to keep to And this last notion of Good seems best to correspond with the Apostles design in this place As for the regard we ought to have for this Good that of following it there is but little more necessary to be said than what hath been already intimated Only it may not be improper to note the different Reading of some very Ancient Copies For instead of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitators Cod. Alex. or Followers they have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zealots which makes a very agreeable Sense It is the Christians duty to be zealous for Good to pursue it at all times with warmth and affection and resolution of mind notwithstanding all the difficulties and discouragements that lie in the way He is to set up that Good which Gods Law requires of him above his hopes and above his fears above every carnal Interest or temporary Design and resolve that no consideration in the World shall either force or draw him to make shipwrack of a good Conscience In short then to be followers of Good is seriously and in good earnest to endeavour on all occasions to govern our selves according to the great Rule or Standard of Goodness the divine Law The meaning of the words being thus Explain'd I shall for the farther clearing of this duty endeavour briefly to do these three things 1. Point out some of the chief Branches of that Good we are to be followers of those especially which the Apostle recommendes in this Chapter 2. Consider some of the many Obligations which strongly engage us to it 3. Offer a motive or two to encourage your Zeal in it I begin with the First to point out some of I. the chief Branches of that Good we are to be followers of And now in this matter the Prophet Micah excellently directs us Mic. 6. 8. Saying He hath shewed thee O man what is good he hath given thee an Idea of Good a rule 〈◊〉 what is just and upright placing it in thine own mind or conscience And moreover a more exact and perfect standard of it in his own word which is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for Correction and Instruction in Righteousness And behold this is the sum of the good which he hath thus set before thee What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justice love mercy and walk humbly with thy God A●ptime branch therefore of the Good we are to be followers of is Justice A strict Justice towards all Mankind Superiours Equals inferiours Our selves A rendring to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due Custom to Rom. 13. 7 8. whom Custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour An owing to no man any thing A being harmless inoffensive upright and sober in our whole Conversion The thing which St. Peter adviseth as the means of Securing to our Selves the Divine Protection at the 10th and 11th Verses of this Chapter He that will love life and see good Days let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile Let him eschew evil and do good let him seek peace and ensue it Another great branch of the Good we are to follow is Mercy love kindness and good-will a being as Serviceable to our Brethren as we can and never violent against them upon any injury received willing to give and ready to forgive closing and Uniting with them in every lawful thing The subject of St. Peter's Exhortation at the 8th and 9th Verses of this Chapter Be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as Brethren be pitiful be courteous not rendring evil for evil or railing for railing but contrariwise Blessing And then the other great branch of Good mentioned by the Prophet and which we are to be zealous in is The walking humbly with God A being duly sensible of the infinite perfection of the Divine Nature of our dependence upon him as also of our Frailty and Unworthiness and so offering up unto him all the honour worship and adoration that we are able A being first well-grounded and then stedfastly persevering in those religious performances which he hath taught us are agreeable to his will notwithstanding all the opposition we shall meet with The thing which Our Apostle recommends at the 14th and 15th verses of this Chapter Be not afraid saith he of their terrour neither be troubled but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with weekness and fear In this evil World which is filled with Disorder and Corruption the Church of God is still militant and the business of all the true Members of it is