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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	church_n	day_n	time_n	20,034	5	4.0316	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22452	The Christians race teaching vs all so worthily, and so wisely both to beginne, continue, and to end, this our most short and momentanie [sic] course in this mortall life: that in the day of our death wee may for euer enjoy that inestimable crowne of eternall blisse in the life to come. Being a sermon preached in the Parish Church of North Parrott in Somerset, by Iohn Atkins Master of Arts, and preacher of the sacred Word of God, and pastor there.	Atkins, John, Rector of North Parrott.	1624 (1624)	STC 887; ESTC S115377	29,584	48

ante vitae terminum deseratur As good not at all to begin this Race as to giue off againe before our dying day The which Truth is taught vs by Christ himselfe in Luk. 9.62 Whosoeuer shall put his hand to the Lords Plough and then looke backe againe is vnfit for the Kingdome of Heauen Let vs therefore now labour not onely to enter but once being entred carefully and constantly to hold on in this Religious race to the vttermost end and Catastrophe of our liues that so in death we may take hold by Faith of that our inestimable prize which is Eternall life Closing vp this our Race when wee shall come to the goale with that sweet and comfortable conclusion of our blessed Apostle Saint Paul in 2. Tim. 4.7.8 I haue fought the good fight of Faith I haue finished my course I haue kept the Faith from henceforth there is layed vp for me the Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord that righteous Iudge shall giue vnto me and not to me onely but to all them that loue his appearing And so I come from this Metaphoricall word Race to that Theologicall grace or vertue it selfe wherewith our hearts must bee fortified fenced guarded for our more comfortable running and finishing of this our Religious race most liuely layed downe in that one word Patience Let vs runne with Patience c. Patience is described for to bee a most excellent gift or grace of God whereby all Gods militant Saints heere vpon Earth are enabled to beare quietly peaceably and contentedly all Crosses and Contumelies whatsoeuer it shall please the Lord for to lay vpon them And hence there ariseth this Doctrine or lesson for our learning that true Patience indeed in vndergoing of crosses is a most needfull and gainefull part of euery true Christians spirituall Armour for the fitting fencing and furnishing of him to runne this Religious race aright The first reason for proofe of this Doctrine is drawne à presenti conditione Sanctorum from the present troublesome estate of all Gods militant Saints For that euen a whole world of troubles tryals and crosses must be vndergone of them in this present world before they can come to the goales end enjoy euerlasting rest and happinesse in Heauen as in Ioh. 16.33 in Luk. 14.27 in Act. 14.22 and in Heb. 12.6.7 being the very Chapter it selfe from whence this my Text is taken you may runne and reade To all which places of Scripture for breuitie I referre you For that all these particuler places doe shew how rough and full of Thornes our way to Heauen is in this our Spirituall race Exeperience whereof the Histories of all ages doe most apparantly proue vnto vs. As namely of Abel Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob and his posteritie in Aegypt in the Wildernesse in Canaan vnder Iudges vnder Kings and in their Captiuities Quis Sanctorum sayth Saint Hierom sine certamine Coronatus est Which of all the Saints was euer Crowned without crossing without fighting without suffering Let vs but seriously consider with our selues the liues of Christ and of his Prophets and Apostles and the estate of Gods Church in the Apostles time and after their time and euer since to these our dayes and times and wee shall quickly find that it were an infinite worke to reckon vp onely all the persecutions troubles afflictions and sundry kinde of Crosses which Gods owne people his delicate ones from time to time haue endured in this present life And no maruell for that as impossible as it is for Sheepe to liue quiet amongst Wolues without hurt or for Noahs Arke to bee without floating vpon the Waters or for Christ his Ship to bee without danger of sinking vpon the Seas or finally for a Lilly to bee without pricking growing among Thornes so impossible is it for Gods militant Church to bee without troubles and tryals and persecutions in this present world Obiect But heere now me thinkes I heare some say vnto me that all Ages and Times haue not beene times of persecutions vnto the Church of God For that the Church of God in Kings Salomons dayes and so likewise vnder the raigne of many other good Kings and Princes had very great peace and quiet And in Act. 9.31 wee doe finde that in the Apostles dayes which were troublesome times the Churches had rest And so likewise in Constantines time and of other most worthy Christian Emperours And euen so likewise blessed bee God heere in this our Iland vnder the peaceable raigne of King Edward the sixt Queene Elizabeth and our most Gracious King IAMES whom the Lord of his goodnesse long continue amongst vs if it bee his blessed will euen as the dayes of Heauen Answ Though Gods militant Church and the members thereof bee freed for a season from all outward publike persecutions of the cruell Magistrates or from open inuasions of their forraigne Foes yet neuer fully free from all manner of troubles For that as in Psal 34.19 Many are the troubles of the Righteous yea euen in the most halcion and peaceable dayes and times that euer were And no maruell For behold in the bosome of Gods Church heere vpon Earth there haue alwayes beene still are and euer will bee some Ismaels as well as Isaacs some Esaus as well as Iacobs some borne carnally after the flesh onely as well as some new borne againe after the Spirit of God Which being so indeed there will therefore euermore bee persecution of Gods Church vpon Earth if not with Fire Sword Banishment Imprisonment and with such like outward tortures and torments yet with Ignominies reproches taunts and disgraces with such like Ismaeliticall persecutions which wil go as neere to the harts and pierce thorow the very soules of Gods Saints as deepely as the other And thus in the most quiet times of Gods Church militant hee that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a prey Many and manifold iniuries both in body goods and name doe the true Saints of God receiue from their wicked neighbours being often disgraced and oppressed of the greater sort and many times reuiled and wronged of the meaner sort And if in this life they should haue peace abroad yet at home euen in their owne priuate Families shall they finde tryals and troubles enough arising ordinarily from their Parents Husbands Wiues Children Seruants Friends Kindred and the like Hence then from our present condition heere in this life wherein wee all are subject to so many stormes and doe daily meete with such an ocean of troubles I proue the truth of this my former Doctrine that of necessitie wee must striue to bee fenced and fitted with Patience for the finishing of this Religious race A second reason for proofe and confirmation of this Doctrine is drawne Ab vtili seu commodo Patientiae From the vnspeakeable gaine and profit of this most excellent pearle of Patience For that euen as the lidde is made by God to open and to shut againe to saue the Eye from

to liue both by his Precepts and Examples of Pietie doth daily flutter and houer ouer vs in this present life In Iohn 13.15 When our Sauiour would perswade his Disciples and followers vnto Humilitie and Loue hee sayth Dedi vobis exemplum c. I haue giuen you an Example that you should doe as I haue done to you And in the 1. of Pet. 2.21 When as Saint Peter would perswade vs to patient Suffering hee sayth CHRIST also suffered for vs leauing vs an Example that wee should follow his steps And in 1. Cor. 11. Verse 1. When Saint Paul would incite the Corinthians for to follow him hee tels them plainely that his meaning was that indeed they should follow CHRIST saying Be yee followers of mee euen as I follow Christ And in Ephes 4.32 When as the same Apostle would perswade the Ephesians to forgiue one another hee sayth Forgiue yee one another as CHRIST forgaue you And finally in the 1. of Ioh. 2.6 Saint Iohn layes downe this point of Doctrine most plainly vnto vs saying Hee that abideth in him ought himselfe to walke euen as hee walked still looking to Iesus euen as Saylers doe to their Sterne and as Runners to their Goale And thus Ab ipsissima vita Christi I prooue the truth of this my former Doctrine that in Running of this our Religious Race the holy Life of our Lord and Master CHRIST must bee our Coelestiall Card and Compasse it must bee our onely leuell and our line for to guide vs by First Vse is of reprehension to checke and sharpely to rebuke the Spiritually blinde I meane the ignorant Papists of these our dayes and times who in stead of their looking vnto the life of IESVS and to his Precepts Practice and Presidents as this our Text doth teach them looke either to the Pardons and Indulgences of the holy Father the Pope or else to the Diabolicall and damnable rules of his Iesuites those Iebusites his Seminary Priests preferring most grossely the rules of his Franciscan and Benedictine Friars c. before this one onely most excellent rule of the life of Christ or else they looke altogether to their own Merits Works which will vtterly deceiue them at the last if they renounce not all these and looke onely vnto Iesus For that of the first they are taught by IESVS himselfe That they are but blind leaders of the blinde and if the blind leade the blind they both shall fall into the Ditch Math. 15.14 And of their second which are our owne good workes wee are taught out of his most blessed Booke that Opera nostra per se nihil mereri possint the best good Workes that heere wee can doe deserue rather damnation then saluation in themselues First Quia non sunt nostra sed Dei opera in nobis Not our owne but the workes of God in vs as in 1. Cor. 4.7 Quid habes quod non accepists If a good Thought this is Grace infused if a good Word this is Grace effused if a good Worke this is Grace diffused Secondly Quia non sunt gratuita sed debita Not free at our owne pleasures to doe or else to leaue vndone but which we must doe by bounden dutie as in Luk. 17.9 10. Verses Thirdly Quia non snnt perfecta sed imperfecta Not perfect but full of infinite imperfections as in Rom. 8.23 We haue heere but onely the first fruits of the Spirit and an earnest penie onely and no more Fourthly and lastly Quia non sunt pura sed multis peccatis sunt permixta They are not pure but like poluted Cloutes Esay 64.6 Verse So that Eternall life which we looke for in the end of our liues is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Debitum a Debt or Dutie which our God doth owe vs but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Donum the free Gift of our God as in Rom. 6.23 Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. So that notwithstanding all our owne good Workes yet wee must looke to Iesus And onely to his Actiue and Passiue workes which hee alone hath both done and endured for vs. Concluding with that Learned Father Saint Austen Quod meritis quidem nostris damnamur sed non saluamur nisi tantum meritis Iesu Christi By our owne good Workes wee are damned but cannot bee saued at all saue onely by the Merits and good Workes of our Lord and onely Sauiour IESVS Obiect But heere now me thinkes I heare some ignorant Papists say If wee are not saued at all by our owne good Workes Why then is life Eternall stiled Merces our wages or our hyre Math. 20.10 Which is euermore payed amongst men for their Workes sake I answer the wages which is so payed amongst men is merces Legalis a Legall wages or hyre but this of Eternall life from GOD is merces Euangelica an Euangelicall hyre not merces debita a deserued hyre as the Legall is but onely indebita altogether vndeserued and yet most truely an hyre for these two causes First Ob consecutionem because it followeth after our good Workes although freely giuen vs of Gods fauour in Christ And secondly Ob promissionem because that God himselfe hath Promised it vnto all his Saints And thus as most excellently sayth Saint Austen Non debendo sed permittendo Deus se fecit debitorem Our good God is now become a debtor vnto vs not of any dutie that hee owes vs at all but onely out of his most Gracious promise which hee hath openly made vnto all his Elect. Be ashamed therefore O yee ignorant Papists of all your best good workes that you can doe and notwithstanding all these yet Oculo fidei with the Spirituall eye of a liuely Faith learne and labour with our Apostle in this short Race of your liues still to looke vnto Iesus In quo omnia habemus In whom alone wee haue all things necessarie to Saluation as Saint Ambrose sayth Whose blessed Birth was and is our new Birth whose Victorie ouer the Tempter was our Triumph his Labours our Peace and quietnesse his Prayers our Intercession his Pouertie our Riches his Soares our Salues his Wounds our Medicines his Righteousnesse our Merits and lastly his Death our Life My second and last vse of this my last Instruction raised from these last words Looking to Iesus Is of admonition to warne vs all in the Running of this our Religious Race wherein euery true Christian is a Runner that we may so runne indeed as to enioy the prize which is Eternall life with Christ in Heauen in our day of Death Let vs now make Christ our onely Marke our Copie Goale and Guide both in beleeuing and in liuing as wee ought to doe So that first if wee would know what we ought to beleeue let vs looke to Iesus who is made vnto vs of God his Father Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 And who alone is both the Alpha and Omega the beginning

THE CHRISTIANS RACE TEACHING VS ALL SO WORTHILY AND SO WISELY Both to beginne continue and to end this our most short and momentanie course in this mortall Life that in the day of our death wee may for euer enjoy that inestimable Crowne of eternall Blisse in the life to come Being a Sermon preached in the Parish Church of North Parrott in Somerset by IOHN ATKINS Master of Arts and Preacher of the sacred Word of God and Pastor there 1. COR. 9.24 Know yee not that they which runne in a Race runne all but one receiued the price So runne that yee may obtayne LONDON Printed for George Hodges and are to bee sold at his Shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Gray-hound 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE WILLIAM SAINTMAVRE LORD BEAVCHAMPE EARLE OF HERTFORD AND TO THE MOST Vertuous and truly Religious Countesse my very good Lord and Ladie IOHN ATKINS wisheth all grace and peace from our LORD IESVS Christ CVstome which with vs is another nature hath euermore claymed by Prescription Right Honourable that such Bookes as are publikely committed to the Presse whither they bee small or great should be sent abroad to the open view of the World with some Epistle Dedicatorie going before them Which if they haue not they may then bee questioned by the Readers whither that the Authors and Writers of these Works haue any worthy good Friends abroad or else whither that the Workes themselues may be thought well worthy of their Patronage In due regard whereof I haue here in bent my selfe to tread the common path and now at this present to vsher forth into the Vineyard of Gods Church these first Fruits of mine imprinted labours in my publike Ministerie vnder both your Honours most worthy Patronage which are now but one in the Lord. Most humbly crauing your Honours fauourable acceptance of the fame as our Sauiour once did of that poore Widdowes Farthing And although I may most truly confesse and say in the words themselues of that Centurion in the Gospell Mat. 8.8 I am not worthy to bee graced here in by your Honours greatnesse knowing right well mine owne vnworthinesse yet the very little matter and argument it selfe of this little Booke of mine is it which I haue heere made bold to commend vnto you to wit The Christians Race A Race indeed which the Wisemen of this World doe vtterly refuse to runne because they are yet but Worldly wise and what our ignorant ones dreame not of because that their eyes as yet are blinded and what our Naturalists know not of Because that this Race is spiritually discerned and what our Earth-wormes thinke not of because that all such are but earthly minded and which all our prophane ones vtterly despise because that as yet they are altogether irreligious and which all our vngodly ones as yet regard not because that their hearts are hard and stony and which our Hypocrites know right wel but yet will not runne vnlesse it be only in the sight of men for a season to haue the applause and prayse of men and lastly which all our truly Religious ones striue to runne albeit with many faintings failings and desertions And therefore now Right Honourable to this only end that all our Worldly wise benedictione diuina may be yet more truly wise vnto their owne saluation and all our ignorant ones may be the more enlightned and all our Naturalists may bee the more renewed and all our Worldly ones may the more haue their minds set on heauenly things and all our prophane ones may yet proue the more pious and all our vngodly ones may come at last to Repentance and all our Hypocrites may be much more zealous so many as are found within the ranke of Election And finally all our Religious ones may be much more strengthened and animated in that good course which they haue hither vnto begunne that so constantly and comfortably continuing to the Goales end they may reape that rich price of eternall blisse I haue heere made bold for the publike good of Gods Church to commit this short Sermon of mine to the Presse teaching both your Honours in particular and all true Christians else in generall so to beginne hold on and continue this our true Christian Race vnto the very end and vpshot of our liues that in death we may enioy eternall life Vouchsafe therefore Right Honourable I beseech you to permit this little Worke of mine to passe into the World vnder your Honours Name which in truth will not only be euen as a shield to protect it against the bitter and biting Tongues of all our carping and captious Ones but also bee as an Ointment powred out yeelding a most sweete and redolent sauour for to make it so much the more odoriferous indeed in the hearts and minds of all true Christian Readers and Hearers of the same And thus most humbly crauing pardon for this my boldnesse and not being willing to detayne your Honours any longer least I should be too tedious I commend you and yours to that most gracious God whom you daily serue and to the Word of his grace which is able to build further in you both and to giue you an inheritance among all them that are satisfied Your Honours Chaplaine in all dutie to be commanded IOHN ATKINS TO THE CHRISTIAN READER COurteous Reader forasmuch as wee are all as Experience proueth the surest Schoole-mistresse in the world from the King to the Begger from the best to the basest from the mightiest to the meanest from him that sits vpon the Throne to the poorest grinder in the Mill without exception or exemption of any Actors heere vpon the Stage of no long continuance and as euidently the Holy Ghost doth witnesse vnto vs all in the 1. Cor. 9.24 runners of a most short and transitorie race heere in this mortall life the which race being finished first or last either at our first third sixth or eleuenth houre That is to say either in Childhood Youth Middle age or Old age our Bodies must then returne vnto Dust from whence they came and our Soules must returne vnto GOD who gaue them That therefore in the very day and houre of our Deaths that immortall part I meane our soules which as Saint Austen saith Generando infunduntur infundendo generantur are infused into our bodyes by a Diuine and vnvtterable generation and are begotten of GOD himselfe in vs by a Coelestiall infusion may not bee repulsed by CHRIST himselfe the Iudge of quicke and dead with Non noui vos discedite maledicti c. I know you not depart you Cursed c. But may then bee immediately and that most ioyfully admitted into the Coelum Emperaeum the Heauen of Heauens with that sweet Venite benidicti c. Come yee blessed Children of my Father c. to GODS most comfortable presence there to haue full fellowship with the Blessed Trinitie and with all the Communion of the tryumphant Saints and so