Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	work_n	world_n	worth_n	64	3	8.3220	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09255	The godly merchant, or The great gaine A sermon preached at Paules Crosse. Octob. 17. 1613. By William Pemberton, Bachelour of Diuinity, and Minister of Gods Word at high Onger in Essex.	Pemberton, William, d. 1622.	1613 (1613)	STC 19569; ESTC S120795	50,712	146

excellent creatures in comparison of whose brightnesse the very sunne is darke in comparison of whose puritie the very heauens are polluted Iob. 15.15 for resplendencie of whose glory the very Angels couer their faces Esa 6.2 before whose dreadfull presēce the earth melteth Psalme 97.5 Esa 51.6 the heauens flie away the deuils tremble and all creatures stand astonished and amazed Iam. 2.19 Godlinesse springeth from the knowledge of Gods al-seeing eye Prou. 15.4 Hebr. 4.13 al-knowing wisdome al-beholding presence whereby God pondereth the pathes obserues the gestures heareth the wordes Ier. 17.10 searcheth the hearts tryeth the reines Prou. 15.11 Iob. 26.6 and pryeth into the bottome of hell and destruction it selfe Godlinesse springeth from the knowledge of Gods al-ruling prouidēce Mat. 10.30 al-commanding power soueraigne authority and vnlimited Lordship Whereby God can and will ouer-awe and order all creatures and actions conditions and estates and curbe and keepe vnder al proude resisters and rebellious opposers can bruise them in peeces with his iron rod Psal 2.9 and consume them to nothing with the breath of his nostrilles Yea command and worke the weale or woe life or death felicity or misery of all manner his creatures Godlinesse springeth from the knowledge and acknowledgement of Gods exact iustice and impartiall equitie whereby the Lord Rom. 2.11 not accepting persons nor taking rewards doth distribute and diuide to euery one his deserued right in good or euill rewards or punishments for obedience or breach of his holy diuine and soueraigne reuealed good will and pleasure And all these considerations doe strongly vrge and powerfully enforce vnto piety or godlinesse But that godlinesse may indeed bee wrought and grow and flourish in the heart of a Christian and that hee may draw neere to God and not be deterred from God hee must aboue al find and feele the quickening iuice of Gods eternall loue issuing out of the roote of the true vine Christ Iesus through conueiance and sweete influence of the spirit of God which arising into the heart of a true Christian will both mollifie heate and effectually affect the heart and most kindly cause therein true godlinesse and religious respect of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazianz. And thus this true godlinesse wrought in the heart being an habite of good things as Nazianzene speakes doth take the possession and gouernment of euery part of the soule doth their reside and rule and causeth an exercise of goodnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and exerts and shewes it selfe in certaine actions and workes called the exercises of godlinesse or religious deuotion both inward in the heart The large extent of godlinesse and outward in the life which expresse the nature and power of pietie Of which kinde are these Effectuall faith diligent loue patient hope reuerend feare pure conscience sound repentance assured confidence all holy affections diuine meditations godly resolutions earnest petitions deuout gestures vnstained profession religious speach vnblameable conuersation At these actions of pietie doth our holy Apostle ayme when he aduiseth Timotheus to exercise himselfe vnto godlinesse 1. Tim. 4.7 When hee exhorts that prayers and supplications be made for all men 1. Tim. 2.1.2 for Kings and for all that are in authority that wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Lastly at this doth the Apostle Saint Peter leuel vpon serious meditation of the finall dissolution of the world 2. Pet. 3.10 11 12 13 14. Seeing the day of the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a great noyse and the elements shall melt with feruent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp seeing then that all these things shall be dissolued what manner of persons ought yee to be in all holy conuersation and godlinesse or duties of godlinesse being diligent in exercise of the offices of piety that yee may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse And this I take to be the sum and substantiall nature of this godlinesse which our holy Apostle commends vnto vs as the great gaine to which if we shall adde one seasoning grace it will abide the touch and bee approued of God Sincerity a seasoning grace This seasoning grace is sound sincerity of the soule and inner man freed and purged from dissembling and hollow-hearted hypocrisie so that it may abide the through tryall of Gods discerning view And so much the name godlinesse doth seeme to import as taken from God so that in my apprehension the godlinesse of a Christian is such inward disposition of heart as consorts with the nature and will of God such outward conuersation of life as beseemes the presence of God Without this soundnesse and perfection of the inwards and the heart our pretended godlinesse is little better then profanenesse Mat. 23. and our seeming pietie detestable hypocrisie Luk. 16.15 But shall this sound integrity and true candor bee dispersed as blood through euery veine of the whole body of true piety and as seasoning salt bee sprinkled on euery action and worke thereof Marke 9.50 this godlinesse shall be accepted for true and good the heart shall be sound and actions approued and then may this precious pearle of piety be commended of God and esteemed of vs as our greatest gaine and truest treasure This beloued in the Lord euen this is the comely feature of godlinesse the subiect of our gaine a thing of great worth and excellency euery way which yet notwithstanding is so smally respected yea so greatly contemned as is lamentable to behold of the most and greatest part of this foolish world Oh that our blind eyes were able to behold it Oh that our peruerse hearts were able to esteeme it Surely surely it would command both eye hand and heart and all to seeke it to embrace it to yeeld all kind and louing entertainment vnto it I will not now speake but pray That the God of all grace would graunt vnto you all this marrow of all grace true godlinesse and piety to guide both heart and life Thus much I thought good to premise concerning godlinesse alone which is presupposed as the matter and subiect of our gaine now I proceed to the attendant of godlinesse which is Contentment for godlinesse is not alone but attended of contentment Godlinesse with Contentment is our great gaine The 2. generall point of godly contentment The attendant of godlinesse is contentment a most worthy waytingmaide of so honourable a Mistresse True Godlinesse is as it were a royall Queene full of Maiesty and beauty striking admiration and reuerence into the hearts of all earnest beholders and Contentment as a young Lady and Princesse a pure and spotlesse Virgin of seemely feature and wel-pleasing demeanure euer attending godlinesse as her Lady and Mistresse Both for progenie of the blood

both their owne and others The Lord for his mercie adde to this number of vncorrupt Patrones make a daily supply of godly and learned Pastors blesse and multiply the companie of sincere professors these Godly Merchants and glorifie his great name in propagation of his Trueth and enlarging of his kingdome The Lord doe good in his good pleasure to this our Zion Psal 51.18 The Lord build the walles of this our Ierusalem Psal 122.7 Peace be within her walles Psal 122.7 and prosperitie within her pallaces Psal 128.5 Let all that feare the Lord see the good of our Ierusalem all the dayes of their life Nehe. 13.14 And the Lord in goodnes remember you herein and wipe not out your kindnesse which you haue shewed vnto the House of your God and for the Offices thereof The Lord grant vnto your Honour long and comfortable life make you thrice happie and honourable in your person and posteritie and giue you a blessed increase in this great gaine of Godlinesse that you may assuredly finde much prosperitie in this life of Grace and fruition of felicitie in that kingdome of glorie Your Honours in all humble dutie in Christ euer bounden William Pemberton THE GODLY Merchant or the great gaine 1. TIM 6.6 But godlinesse with contentment is great gaine RIght Honourable and beloued in the Lord Gal. 4.26 The celestiall Ierusalem which is aboue the Mother of vs all is the chiefe Citie of the liuing God our heauenly Father wherein all our elder brethren and fellow-seruants after faithfull imployment of their spirituall talents Mat. 25.16 17 hauing giuen vp to God a good account doe rest from their labours and their workes follow them Ibid. vers 21.23 for they are entred already into the ioy of their Lord and enioy their desired felicity in fruition of God The Church of Christ on Earth is likewise a City of God Ephes 2.19 Gloriosissima Ciuitas Aug. de Ciuit. Dei l. 1. c. 1. yea a great Citie and a place of great Trafique and Marchandize all the Citizens whereof hauing receiued from the Lord their number of talents are become Merchants Mat. 25.15 c. or traders in one kinde or other all vnweariable in their painfull indeauour and all ayming at one common end their returne and increase in their profit and their gaine Or if any be sloathfull hee hopes to purchase ease and that in his account is a sufficient gaine Now as it fareth in other Cities so it falles out in this that all proue not wise and faithfull factors vsing faire and honest dealing in their trading and contenting themselues with a good and lawfull aduantage but some are craftie and deceitfull Merchants who corrupt and adulterate their most precious wares and all to feed their couetous humour Such were the false Apostles mentioned in the former verses who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach otherwise then they should Vers 3 4 5. who consenting not to wholsome words euen the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according vnto godlinesse did set out religion vnto Sale and vsed false imposture for their priuate aduantage Supposing in opinion or avowing in practise that gaine was godlinesse While they measured Christianity by earthly commoditie and corrupted the truth of God and abused the precious name of Pietie onely to satisfie their greedy appetite as though the mysterie of godlinesse were a mysterie of iniquitie 1. Tim. 2.16 2. Thess 2.7 or a trade to serue to their sordide and filthy lucre And these are one sort of Merchants who trade in this Citie and these haue great doings and many partners who make their faire profession of pietie a sleight to further their earthly gaine yea and pretend religion the better to deceiue Of such false impostors the Lord himselfe complaines That their siluer is turned into drosse their wine is mingled with water Esa 1.22 of such our Apostle had experience that they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupt the word of God 2. Cor. 2.17 and concerning such he forewarnes Timotheus saying from such separate or withdraw thy selfe verse 5 There is another sort of Merchants that are wise and faithfull who hauing found the precious pearle of religion and pietie Mat. 13.45.46 preserue it entire and vncorrupt without all imposture or mixture of their owne And such a Merchant was holy Saint Paul 1. Cor. 15 10. 2. Cor. 11.23.25.26 that Great trader both by sea and land who accounted all things drosse and dung for Christ Iesus alone Phil. 3.7 8. the onely pearle of price and did impart it to others in all fidelitie That they might partake with him in this heauenly wealth while as of sinceritie as of God 2. Cor. 2.17 in the sight of God so hee did preach in Christ He accounted it great impietie to deale deceitfully and extreame folly to ayme at earthly commoditie and made this his rule of direction in all his trafique which was an vnmoueable conclusion of his most serious deliberation That Godlinesse with contentment is the great gaine The scope of the words The intent of Saint Paul that experienced Merchant that I may follow the allegorie is to perswade Timotheus a much intrusted factor and all others that trade in this kinde not to follow the guize of such deceitfull dealers as measured Christianity by outward gaine as though hee were the holier who is the wealthier and made their preaching and practise of the doctrine of pietie to become a base and sordide trade to compasse their earthly commoditie but to become partners with him in his approued course to embrace the Gospell in all integritie and to content themselues with their least increase in their outward condition so they were surely possessed of the rich pearle of pietie able of it selfe to cause a wel-contenting sufficiencie and therefore he backes this conclusion with all force of reason That Godlinesse with contentment is great gaine Ver. 7 8 9.10 The contents of the words These words then containe in them a sound position of Saint Paul a true Apostle opposed to a fond supposition of the false Apostles Their fond supposition in effect was this Gaine is godlinesse Goods are goodnesse Where there is wealth enough there is religion enough For they preached and professed the religion of Christ onely to purchase the wealth of the world But Saint Pauls sound position most acutely opposed to their fond supposition is this Godlinesse is gaine True goodnesse is the true goods Where there is religiō enough there is wealth enough Yea godlinesse is great gain Naked piety is the wealthy commodity True grace is the richest treasure Godlinesse with contentment is great gaine Godlinesse is attended with contentment True pietie brings true plenty and of it selfe will cause a wel-contenting sufficiency The summary conclusion of all is this It is most false which the false Apostles did so profanely and impiously