Selected quad for the lemma: king_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
king_n	good_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	275	3	9.4241	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50354	Epaphras, A sermon preached at Saint Austell in Cornwal, in commemoration of a benefactor, the second of February, 1639 by Ioseph May ...	May, Joseph, b. 1584 or 5.	1641 (1641)	Wing M1390; ESTC R15046	14,778	36

his prayers for the Colossians doth include the sum of all perfection necessary to Christians in this life in that he praieth that they may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God And here the Apostle doth not onely pray that they may be perfect and complear c. but also that they may stand perfect c. where the Metaphor in the phrase of standing is not to be omitted because to stand in a matter is to be constantly setled in the same signifying to abide and continue in it and not to be drawne away from that station and posture by any assault or temptation as the Romans are said to stand in grace Rom. 5.2 And as the Galatians were advised to stand fast in their Christian liberty Gal. 5.1 And the Ephesians are exhorted to take unto them the whole armour of God that they may bee able to withstand in the evill day and having done all to stand Ephes 6.13 For as the counsell of the Lord is said to be sure and immutable Heb. 6.17 so the Prophet David saith It standeth for ever Psalm 33.11 Epaphras prayeth not only for an habendum but a tenendum to that so the grace of obedience to all the will of God may be theirs to have and to hold And no marvell that Epaphras had such a zeale for them because there was a possibility that they might be spoyled through Philosophy and vain deceit Col. 2.8 after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ which might bee feared and therefore out of the earnestnesse of his zeale for them he laboureth instantly with our Apostle to write this Epistle and send faithfull messengers with the same as Tichious and Onesimus that as they had received Christ by the ministery of Epaphras so they might walke in him by the counsell and consolation of the Apostle Anxiè sollicitus Pel. in loc To this purpose his zeale is shewen for the Colossians in that hee was very earnest and carefull for them that they might continue in the doctrine by him taught and preached whereby the foundations of Christianity layd might not be thrown down or overturned As there is a zeale of God for men expressed by the zeale of the Lord of Hoasts for the remnant of Iudah and those that remaine of Ierusalem 2 King 19.30.31 So there is a zeale of men for God which was the zeale of Elias being zealous for the Lord of Hoasts because the children of Israel had forsaken his covenant broken downe his Altars and killed the Prophets 1 King 19.10 And there is againe a zeale of men for men this was the zeale of Epaphras for the Colossians The zeale of God for men is the abundant and earnest love of God for the good of his Church and his people The zeale of men for God is the fervent and zealous love of men toward God for the advancement of his glory The zeale of men for men is the hot and earnest affection that the Church and people of God have to doe good one to another Zeale being still taken in the better part for true warrantable and religious zeale for this zeale of men to men setteth forth the fruits of it selfe in mercy and compassion Gal. 6.10 in the desires of doing good to all men especially to them of the houshold of faith in the hatred of prophanenesse and the furthering of Gods true worship and service in wrastling against the corruptions of the world ever hotly pursuing that grace of God which teacheth us to live godly Tit 2.12 righteously soberly in this present world The zeale of men for men is positive of men for God is comparative but that of God for men is superlative This we may admire the other two we must practise To be zealous as Epaphras was and withall that our zeale be extensive not unto one person or one place onely but unto many persons and many places even unto all the world and all persons in the world For looke how farre the commission from God extendeth to goe and teach Mat. 28.19 1 Tim. 2.4 so farre it commandeth to extend the rayes of our love and affection even to such as are of Colosse Laodicea and Hierapolis the Cities and places which had no long existence For in Nero's time Strab. lib. 10. as Historians write they all perished with an earth-quake From such desolation the Lord deliver us Neverthelesse the love of Epaphras toward them is here highly commended and where-ever this Epistle shall be read what this Epaphras hath done for the Colossians shall be told for a memoriall of him And so much for the person in my text commended and the grounds of his commendation It remaineth that I say somewhat of the person that commended him The person that commended him as I have said before was the Apostle Saint Paul and the manner was by bearing record or giving testimony of both which bri●fly and together For the person commending as he was not a Citizen of a meane City Acts 21.39 so he was not a man of a meane quality for he was a chosen vessell unto the Lord Acts 9 15. to beare his name before Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel and by the Apostles Peter Iames and Iohn he was appointed I may say consecrated the Apostle or Bishop of the Gentiles he maketh no question but his testimony would bee accepted of the Churches as it was at Rome Rom. 10.2 where he witnessed by his Epistle the zeale of Israel 2 Cor. 8.3 at Corinth where he witnessed the contribution and liberality of the Macedonians at Galatia Gal 4.15 where hee witnessed the aboundance of their love toward him and here at Colosse where he witnesseth the zeale of Epaphras toward the Colossians It was the happinesse of Epaphras to be limned by such a Painter Tul. de or at Tully the Oratour esteemed it sufficient that wise Cato approved him though others condemned him And Pauls testimony of Epaphras was as much if not more as if all the other Apostles had borne record of his just commendations 1 Cor. 7.40 for the Apostles judgement as in other matters so also in this was guided by the Spirit of God Undoubtedly Epaphras had never obtained these commendations from Saint Paul unlesse hee had duly deserved them and the causall particle doth enforce it for I beare him record Wherefore to be commended by him was the greatest honour the times could afford and that was justly due unto Epaphras Prosp de sym Paul was another Simmachus mirabili eloquio sapientia praeditus wise and learned vir totus exsapientia virtutibus factus Boetius de eod full of grace and goodnesse which Symmachus said of himselfe mei moris est bene cognitis approbatisque ferre suffragium nec personas hominumsed vitae merita cogitare My manner is to approve such as are well knowne

a perfect man in his generation the mandate to Abraham is to all the children of Abraham Gen. 17.1 Walke before me and be thou perfect for not onely the man of God in his holyfunction but also the servant of God in his holy conversation must bee perfect to every good work 2 Tim. 3.16 And for that the chiefest grace and vertue of this life consisteth in love the Apostle calleth love vinculum perfectionis the bond of perfection Colos 3.14 And wise Solomon in the Canticles speaking mystically of the graces proper to the Church of Christ saith vna est columba mea Cant. 6.8 perfecta mea Which our translation rendreth my Dove mine undefiled is one uniting love and perfection in every good Christian This perfection is first in the heart there rooted thence spreadeth unto the tongue the hands It is first in the minde and the affection and thence proceedeth into words and workes by a sanctified operation for such a perfection is required First wee must serve God with a perfect heart as the good King Ezechiah did 2 King 20.3 and as David commanded his sonne Solomon to doe 1 Chion 28 9. And then with our tongues it any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man And for our hands James 3 2. they are to be made perfect unto every good work Phil. 3.14 15. By this meanes pressing hard toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Let us therefore as many as bee perfect and would be really perfect bee thus minded For this perfection and fulnesse laboured Epaphras on the behalfe of his Countreymen the Colossions in his prayers and farther limits this perfection and fulnesse with the will of God For his labour for them in prayers is that they may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God where his will is to be understood not for his Essentiall Attribute which is the councell of his will Voluntas Volitio Volitum Ephes 1.11 for that is hidden from us nor for his will bringing to passe what he hath decreed for so his judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 And who hath refisted his will Rom. 9.19 but for the object of his will which is revealed and made manifest by the word taught and preacht This is the will of God required to be done of us in which will we must shew our obedience Psal 40.7 8. In the volume of the booke saith David it is written that I delight to doe thy will O my God! which is Prophetically spoken of Christ Allegorically of every good Christian whose duty it is to be a follower of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 11.1 For it is just and requisite for such as know the will of God should approve the things that are more excellent as instructed out of the volume of his booke Rom. 2.18 Luke 6.46 Mat. 7.21 Why should we call him Lord and Master if we doe not the things that hee saith It is not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven saith our Saviour Christ It is required that we be transformed by the renewing of our mindes that we may prove and by our obedience approve Rom. 12.2 what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God It must must be unto us as it was unto Christ meat to doe the will of God and to finish his worke Ioh. 4.34 Mens thoughts ought especially to pitch on three things concerning the will of God First what he will doe with us Secondly what hee will doe for us And thirdly what hee will have us to doe If we doe what hee will have us to doe then will he make us vessels of mercie this will he doe with us and he will blesse us here and hereafter this hee will doe for us The summe of our obedience to the will of God in doing what he will have us to doe is First Acts 17.10 John 3.16 1 Thess 4.3 to repent seriously Secondly to believe in Christ constantly Thirdly to lead a holy life continually It is the will of God that wee recover our selves out of the snares of the Divell 2 Tim. 2.26 and turne from sinne unto God and so make our selves new creatures that wee may believe in Iesus Christ by faith appprehending him to bee our Priest to offer sacrifice for us our Prophet to teach and our King to rule and governe us and that we become holy as he is holy eschewing evill and doing good 1 Pet. 1.16 separating our selves from wickednesse and wicked company dedicating our selves and labours to God and godlinesse walking circumspectly ever learning and practising piety devotion and heavenly mindednesse cleansing our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and perfecting holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7.1 forsaking our owne weake and corrupt wills and applying our selves wholly to the will of God which calleth us to repentance and newnesse of life For if God bee our Father what Christ applied to the Scribes and Pharisees to another purpose is most true of us The workes of your Father yee will doe To doe his workes and obey his will John ● 44 confirmeth the spirituall kindred farre more noble and excellent then the carnall betwixt Christ and us for whosoever shall doe the will of his father which is in heaven Mat. 12 ●0 he is his brother and fister and mother Luke ● 21 and his mother and brethren are those which heare the word of God and doe it Where the word of God and the will of God are one and of one signification that no man might bee to seeke where to learne or how to know the will of God Wilson There need no rules of Philosophy no decrees of Popes no traditions of the Church for the salvation of mens soules or the ordering of mens lives 2 Tim. 3.16.17 the Scripture alone which is a most absolute witnesse of Gods will is sufficient to make the man of God perfect There is the rule and Canon of obedience to the will of God because all doctrines necessary thereunto are in the Scriptures fully declared and expressed For when Moses had told the people the words of the Lord and had taken the Booke of the Covenant and read it in the audience of the people they said All that the Lord hath said we will doe and be obedient Exod. 24.7 And our Apostle thanketh God for the Romans that they had obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine which was delivered them Rom. 6.17 For to obey is better then sacrifice 1 Sam. 15.22 because he that sacrificeth doth but slay a beast but he that obeyeth doth slay himselfe in his owne corrupt will and naturally depraved affections Now then Epaphras in the subject matter of