Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	enter_v	pharisee_n	scribe_n	1,718	5	10.1839	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45665	A farewell to popery, in a letter to Dr. Nicholas, vice-chancellor of Oxford, and warden of New-College, from W. H., M. D., lately Fellow of the same college shewing, the true motives that with-drew him to the romish religion, and the reasons of his return to the Church of England : concluding with some short reflections concerning the great duty of charity.	Harris, Walter, 1647-1732.	1679 (1679)	Wing H884; ESTC R9627	22,580	44

duty and consider it as it concerns our actions Charity in the distributive sense as it relates to our actions and practice is so inculcated by the Law of Nature and common Genius of Man-kind that unless one puts off all Humanity to receive the Wolf and Tygar 't will be extream hard not to have some fellow-feeling of the deplorable wants and miseries of our Fellow-creatures Those who are Stewards of large and ample Fortunes will have long accounts to make at the great day But Oh what a ravishing sight will it then be to see the Hungry we have Fed and the Naked we have Cloathed What a multitude of Sins will they stand between and cover for then 't will be enquired not what Learning we had gain'd what Cobwebs we had spun or what nice speculations we had made but what good we have perform'd and how we employ'd our hands and hearts not our wits and fancy If the Jewish Law was but a Type of Christian Discipline and our Saviour came not to abrogate the Moral-Law but to fulfil and raise it higher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much then ought we to exceed the Jews in acts of Charity and yet 't is to be feared we come too short of what their duty prompted them to Besides their Annual Tithes to the Church they gave another Tithing to the Poor every third year by Gods own appointment Deut. xxvi 12 13. and this comes to the same reckoning as an Annual 30th which whether Christians Charity doth reach to or exceed as far as it should I leave to every Mans Conscience seriously to consider For except our Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very same word that in many places of Scripture does necessarily signifie Legal Alms-giving except I say our Righteousness does exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees we can in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Now if we consider but the Peace and Serenity of Mind the Heaven upon Earth that is gained from a consciousness of having done some real good to others it would be a thing eligible if there were no further motive But again If we will but examine our own Interest I mean not only our Eternal Interest which would certainly move us if we were but effectually persuaded of it but also our dearly beloved Temporal Interest the truest way of multiplying our riches and best improvement of our Estates we should readily comply with this Duty in all respects What says the Prophet Malachi ch iii. v. 10. Bring ye all the tithes into the Store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove me herewith saith the Lord of Hasts if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it and see again Prov. iii. 10. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty And the Scriptures are full of passages to this purpose inviting us all manner of ways to try the goodness of God which he pleases to offer us in this life upon one only condition if we will but believe his promises to us And this puts me in mind of an excellent story I have read in a good Author concerning a Jew who when he had perused several of those places which promise abundance of Temporal blessings to Charitable persons resolved to try whether God would be as good as his word and spared no occasion of profuse Charity until he had reduced himself to one single piece the whole remain of all his former riches Now was he come to the Crisis of tryal a Crisis able to shake even a Christian courage and it did shake his indeed though he had proceeded boldly hitherto without any fear or distrust He began then to murmur and repine and blamed his Credulity for what he had so rashly he thought done and in this pensive heart-breaking mood he spied two men a quarelling and fighting Notwithstanding his own afflictions he presently interposed and demanded the cause of their so great difference They answered that going along there they had found a stone which both laid claim to but could not agree which was the first discoverer so that if he would bestow somthing for it they told him it should be his He gave them all he had his one remaining piece and so they went well contented with it He presently repairs to a Jeweller to know the value of his purchase and was informed that it was the best Jewel which belonged to the High-Priests Breast-plate and that if he would carry it to the right owner he need not doubt of a sufficient recompence He goes to the High-Priest acquaints him with what he had found and the accidental occasion that brought him to such a Treasure The Man of God roundly gave him first a box of the Ear for distrusting Providence and then dismissed him with a reward answerable to the occasion From that fortunate day he thrived in such measure and received the full satisfaction of all his former wishes that notwithstanding the Charitable continuance of his former good intentions he soon grew to be one of the richest men in all Judea God never forsakes those that will trust in him He will try them indeed whether they are in earnest and how far they will venture to trust in him but be assured he never leaves man in his extremities unless he leaves his God first And I have observed several instances of people that have been brought to the very brink of ruin and despair who have been strangely and suddenly advanced to the amazement of all their acquaintance by the immediate hand of Almighty God And if all good people in affliction do not find the same 't is their duty to resign themselves up to the wise but unaccountable ways of Providence Now notwithstanding all that has been said if any man will be so Vncharitable as to think the Current of the Times of late and not my own inclination and real judgment induced me to write these things I must be contented to remain unhappy in his opinion for no other Arguments can persuade him to alter I am very well satisfied that every man who thinks at all of Religion has a natural affection for some one Religion above others as he has for some particular Person but if upon sober thoughts and familiar Conversation he finds the Lady he dotes too much upon to be either a Strumpet or wretchedly Painted or Proud and Cruel especially if all these together he is not to be blamed if he recalls his extravagant passion and settles it rationally upon a pure and unspotted a mild and innocent and deservedly amiable object There 's great variety of tempers in Men and these different tempers make Men naturally incline to as great variety in Religions Some take to the sowre and morose others are led with an artificial shew and with this most Men are apt to be insnar'd till they find out the Cheat some are taken with licentious encouragements and others the fewest of all with an honest naked truth Now if among these various attractions an innocent well-meaning Man happens to be a while deluded there 's no such real wonder but God's Grace and Providence which over-looks Man-kind and watches incessantly for the good of us all is not like to pass by long those who are in no worse circumstance than that How do we know but that these many different Religions are most agreeable to the great end of the Creation When we cannot possibly see two faces alike no nor any two things exactly so in all respects must we fondly desire that all Nations in the World should be of one and the same Opinion God says Heresies shall come and no doubt remain too that the Faithful may the better be tried and for that reason I should rather suspect Italy and Spain where are no Dissenters to try their Faith than think that blind forc'd Vnity makes so much for ' em Christian Gospel-liberty cannot avoid Dissenters the Enemy will sow his Tares but the Inquisition gags the mouths of all who presume to examine any whys or wherefores One thing I shall adjoyn and so conclude When first I return'd to Church God be thanked I can truly say I never did any thing with more peace and assurance of mind or with more inward comfort to my soul than that time at Church which really to me is a most comfortable reflection as oft as it occurs Now may Virtue and Charity encrease among us all and may the World grow more and more sensible of the future and present benefit of a just peaceable and well-disposed Life Sir I am Your most Humble and most Obedient Servant W. H.