Selected quad for the lemma: honour_n
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A51436
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Religious meditations on Ecclesiastes, Chap. 12. vers. 13, 14
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Mosse, John.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing M2857A; ESTC R221919
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20,870
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69
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know their duty and more than so they will not be slack to render it in all respects both to God by living to his Glory and to their Neighbours by dwelling in Love and Charity with them For as nothing less than such a Life will bespeak them the servants of God so nothing more is wanting 't is their whole duty comprehensive of Faith Righteousness Charity and all good works the Fruits of the Spirit the fulfilling of the Law one tittle of which shall not pass away or be made void the loving of God with all the heart and their Neighbours as themselves and the effect and product of the Ministry of Jesus Christ Acts 26.18 which proposes a conversion from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God and from a corrupt and repugnant to a clean and regenerate mind as its principal scope whereby the Gospel the Power and Cross of Jesus will be embraced effectual and easie to be bore and the consequence glad tydings reformation and Peace to the Soul witnessed and enjoyed which is the end of all and the crown of all I have fought a good fight saith the Holy Man 2 Tim. 4.8 I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness Oh the comfort the joy and cause of rejoycing has that Man which so lives in this world as to answer his end He that offereth Praise glorifieth me Psal 50.23 and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God Oh that Men would be perswaded to consider that God shall bring into Judgment every Work with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil surely then there would be something of a concern after this manner If it be so as 't is most certain that the great Judge of the World takes such a strict observance of all my Actions be they never so Secret nay of all my most hidden thoughts as that he will one day cause me to give an account of them all For every Idle word shall Men give an account in the day of Judgment How am I engag'd to be circumspect and watchful in all things not only in actions that have reference to Men and in my words but also in my thoughts and cogitations which none but an al-seeing God can charge with matter of evil In a sense of his al-knowing Power and of my own impotency I 'le beg of him to give me Grace so to Live in this world as that I may not by reason of my neglect be debar'd of those joys in the world to come and further I am sensible upon a most serious and retired examination that 't is by and through the illumination of a Divine Light that I see the evil of my ways and the misery ensuing such an unlimited course of Life I am therefore willing to deny my self and take up a Dayly Cross that I may know the work of Reformation and Regeneration the way to the Kingdom wrought Joh. 3.3 Vnless a Man be Born again he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven And in the first Place the Fountain of all Defilements and Corruptions being in my Heart Mat. 15.18.20 I 'le cry with the Psalmist Creat in me a new Heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me for unless the inside be clean the outside will not be so whilst the principle of hatred and envy is predominant in me 't is impossible I should bring forth works of Love and Charity and whilst I am under the power of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. doing his works I can by no means be the servant of God I cannot serve two Masters if the power of Satan bear rule in me I can be no subject of Jesus I cannot have right to call him Lord Luke 6.46 for I begin to be sensible that not he who says Lord Lord but that does his will is a Servant to him and of the Justice of that rebuke why call ye me Lord and do not the things which I command ye And when I feel the visitation of the love of God to my Soul 2 Cor. 4.6 opening the Eyes of my understanding then shall I see how wretched and miserable I am as also the exclency of the Glory of God who hath for that end caused his Light to appear now and not till now do I perceive the vanity of all Created things and my Soul is effused with breathings to the Lord to give me a further revelation of his will and to create a conformity in my depraved Heart to the same whereby I shall see an absolute necessity of sober and serious consideration of all my doings and the power of Jesus prevailing in my Soul I doubt not of ability to resist all temptations and to walk not as a Fool in my former vicious lewdness but as one that is awaken'd from the sleep of Sin and raised from the grave of Iniquity to redeem the time which I have spent in such an enormous manner as declares I neither endeavour'd to answer the end of my coming into the World nor was sensible of the necessity of the same When such thoughts and considerations have possessed the Hearts of Men they 'l remember that as there is no way to avoid or escape the Judgment of God so also that he will execute his Just and righteous decrees upon all without partiallity or respect of Persons Rom. 2.6.11 as 't is said God will render to every Man according to his works to those that by a patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortallity Eternal Life but to those that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth evil upon the Jew first and also upon the Gentile but Glory Honour and Peace to every Soul of Man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile for there is no respect of Persons with God Then none should presume to think that by vertue of any Personal predestination they shall if evil doers be exempted from the Sentence of go ye cursed For 't is apparent that as the Lord is no respecter of Persons so will he bring into Judgment the works of every Man And in vain will it be for any to plead at the Judgment Day after this manner Lord let me into thy Kingdom whom thou Elected'st before the foundation of the World not by my foreseen Holiness but in thy meer pleasure alone as thou didst for the same reason reject the greatest number in the World and as 't was thy pleasure and mercy to make me one of thy Elect so wholly confiding therein I look'd to be taken for a faithful Servant because thou art a faithful Master and so took no care to perform any thing of Service unto thee as believing that the Blood of thy Son being
Again Let us hear we that have large possessions that be Rich in the Earth we that are fill'd with Worldly enjoyments that as it were have the World at our beck we that are at ease in our pleasure that command the World with our Wealth we that flatter our selves with hopes of perpetual bliss and some of us that think this false Joy will never come to an end be ye advis'd and consider 1 Kin. 10.17 I have had most boundless possessions and made Silver as plentiful as stones in the street yet I see the vanity of all these empty enjoyments how short they be in yeilding true and lasting Peace Could they so have done I should have been bless'd above all but now rest sensible of the insufficiency and uncertainty of them Riches make themselveâ— wings and flie away they cannoâ— deliver in a day of Trouble therefore let them be no longer as strong hold in your imaginationâ— neither take them for the upholder of a lasting Peace for I know how little safety can be repos'd in them and further 1 Tim. 6.7.10 that they are more oâ—ten Snares by which Men are entangl'd than they be useful or conducing to their good Let such thoughts and considerations say the Preacher incline ye to say with me Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter c. Eccles 12.1 Our excellent Preacher having in the precedent part of the Chapter given some tender admonition to the younger People none concludes to all with so full a compendium of Humane duty as nothing in such a relation is excluded wherein appear'd not only hiâ— great and spacious Knowledge buâ— also his reform'd apprehension of the future estate of Men as well â—s a sensible demonstration of his â—esubmition to his great Creator against whom he had transgress'd by his subjection to the Power of concupiscence But this as 't is beleiv'd being of a posteriour edition proves him a partaker of the promised respite of affliction justly â—aid upon him I will for this afflict the Seed of David but not for ever I will chastise him in Judgment 2 Sam. 12 16. Psal 89.30.36 but my loving kindness shall not be taken away and therefore I doubt not but he by resignation and repentance was blest with a restoration of his unparrallel'd Wisdom because the meekness humility and charity compris'd herein seems no other than the ejaculation of a Spiritualliz'd Man the effect of divine mercy alone to which also must be imputed the efficient cause of all attention to this conclusion of the whole matter which is to Fear God and keep his Commandments A Reverend and Holy Fear an entire and Godly awe a meek and submissive dread of Spirit is required Fear God keep his commands let no Worldly considerations let no mean and Earthly cogitations be restrictive but remember that the great and most excellent Creator whose presence fills Heaven and Earth 1 Kings 8.27 2 Chron. 2.6.6.18 the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him of Justice is worthy to be feared reverenc'd and submitted to He is the Fountain of all our good from whom all our mercies flow whose Loving Kindness never fails whose Truth and Goodness sustains the World whose secret and most wise providence orders and disposes of all Vacat exiguis rebus adesse nostrâ— Jovi Curat noster Deus sui alieni He is not only a far off but a God near at hand to support the weak and to comfort the afflicted to give Joy for Mourning Isa 61.3 the garment of praise for the Spirit of heaviness Beauty for Ashes Peace and Tranquillity for trouble and sorrow of mind 2 Chron. 6.18 He is an omnipresent being nothing can be hid from his Eyes he beholds the secret actions of all the private deceipts of Men be not unknown unto him the dark workers of Iniquity cannot conceal themselves He is most boundless in power all Nations are but as the dust in the ballance in his Hand Isa 40. â—2 17 he that by his powerful Wisdom produc'd this worldly frame into a being can by the same consume it into nothing let the Wisdom of this World deny its production out of nothing let it be employ'd in searching for Prima materia and causa Vniversalis We know that our God is Omnipotent that as he was able out of nothing to constitute all things so can he reduce all things into nothing again the fallen Wisdom of Man Arestotle not apprehending divine Wisdom conceiv'd the world Eternal and shall we render our selves as weak by dis-believing the omnipotency of our great Creator Oh! no but let us with chearful Hearts yeild honour and reverence to his Glorious Name who as all have plentifully received of his favours and mercies so requires a faithful and grateful acknowledgment thereof by fearing him and obeying his commands whereby is perform'd through the assistance of divine Grace that only acceptable Sacrifice of pure and hearty Obedience First by fearing is render'd our private worship and adoration of God and Secondly by obeying him or an active observance of his righteous Law our duty in respect to our Neighbours which is to love them as our selves Rom. 13 9 10. Gal. 5.14 herein is contain'd as saith the Preacher the whole duty of Man But seeing our sad experience gives us to know the great aversion there is lodg'd in our hearts to the desires of and much more seeking after our good which is to fear God and keep his Commands how carfully then should we seek for the means of extirpating this so powerful an inclination to evil and declination from any thing that may be in the least conducing to our chiefest good and of attaining to such a frame and estate of mind as that we may be in a capacity to perform the duties required of us May we not sorrowfully remember how that our first Father Adam the master-piece of the whole Creation an Epitome of the World in whom was center'd an Abreviation of all things and who was constituted Lord of all the Creatures Gen. 1.26 27. as being endued with Righteousness Knowledge and true Holiness yet by Transgression to the Righteous Law of God by disobeying his Holy precepts Gen. 3. Rom. 8.20 2 Cor. 11.3 Eccles 25 24. by reason of vain hope by harkning to the Allurements of the Woman by yeilding to the Seducements of the Serpent and by Eating of the prohibited Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of go d and evil Gen. 3.14 to the end became deprived of his serene and pure Felicity lost the gracious benefit of a sweet and immediat communion with his Maker together with his Soveraignity over the whole Creation Rom. 5.12 Yea Sin and death by Sin entred the world thereby and the faculties of his soul being infected and depraved Darkness and Corruption seized his guilty Conscience the pure Image of the Deity was defaced its passions and affections perverted