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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16763	A treatise of christian beneficence, and of that like christian thankefulnese which is due to the same The which, as they are duties of singular account with God, so are they of as necessarie vse to all christians, for the keeping of faith and a good conscience, as are fire and water for common vse and comfort to the naturall life of all men.	Allen, Robert, fl. 1596-1612.	1600 (1600)	STC 367; ESTC S112321	178,520	256

the maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospell euen as they will answere the matter before God who will not be dallied with therein as we haue seene before he doth therewithall assure all such as shal deale Christianly herein that they shall reape a plentifull fruit from the same Whatsoeuer a man soweth saith the Apostle that shall he also reape For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the the flesh reap corruption that is he that mindeth earthly things without regard of Gods kingdome and religion and his owne saluation he shall perish with them but he that soweth to the Spirit that is he which doth liberally contribute to the maintenance and aduancement of the ministerie of the Gospell shall of the Spirit reape life euerlasting Let vs not therefore as the holie Apostle exhorteth bee vvearie of vvell-doing for in due season we shall reape if vvee faint not Answerable hereunto is that charge which the same Apostle giueth vnto Timotheus and so to all faithfull Ministers of the Gospell in the last chapter of that his first Epistle Charge those that bee rich in this world saith he that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God who giueth vs aboundantly all things to enioy That they doe good and bee rich in good vvorkes and readie to distribute and communicate Laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Reade also in the first chapter of the Prophete Haggai verse 8. Goe vp to the mountaine and bring wood and build this house and I will be fauourable in it and I will be glorified saith the Lord. And againe chap. 2. verses 19.20 Consider I pray you in your mindes from this day and afore from the foure and twentith day of the ninth moneth euen from the day that the foundation of the Lords temple was layd consider it in your mindes Is the seede yet in the barne As yet the vine and the figge tree and the pomegranet and oliue tree hath not brought forth from this day will I blesse you Likewise in the second chapter of the prophesie of Malachie verses 10.11.12 Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house that there may be meate in my house and proue me now herewith saith the Lord of Hostes if I will not open the windowes of heauen vnto you and poure ye out a blessing without measure And I will rebuke the deuourer for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruite of your ground neither shall your vine be barren in the field saith the Lord of Hostes And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a pleasant land saith the Lord of Hosts And I pray ye let vs marke how when the Lord Ier. 32. from the 17. verse and throughout the whole 33. chapter and likewise Ezek. chap. 36.25.26 c. speaketh of restoring his people Israel from their captiuitie to their owne land that they might inioy the fruitfull blessings thereof as in former times he maketh the renewing of their hearts to his feare and worship the forerunner of the same and this blessing to be a consequent of that according to the ancient promise of blessing to those that should truly worship God Leuit. 26.3 c. and Deut. 28.1.2 c. to the 15. verse But this promise of blessing was not made onely to the people of God vnder the law vpon condition they would performe faithfull seruice and worship to God but it belongeth to all nations and people whosoeuer being at any time called to the true knowledge of God shall yeeld thēselues in the faith of Christ true worshippers of him as we are sweetly taught and assured in the 67. Psalme For this being the praier which the holy Ghost teacheth the church to pray in that Psalme That all nations might knowe God and ioyfully praise and worship him the conclusion followeth with this most gratious and bounteous promise of God Then shall the earth bring forth her increase and God euen our God shall blesse vs. God shall blesse vs and all the ends of the earth shall feare him This is that which our Sauiour Christ saith Matth. 6.33 Seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall be cast vnto you to wit as an ouerplus or income to make vp more then measure or tale as a matter of small reckening in so great an account c. It is the same also which the faithfiull Apostle of our Sauiour Christ affirmeth 1. Timoth. 4.8 Godlinesse hath the promise of the life present and of that which is to come For no man can truly and hartily seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and so be a right godly man indeed but the same must and will be to his power a willing maintainer and furtherer of the true worship of God and of his faithfull seruants the publike ministers thereof Thus much for the promise of blessing The examples doe now followe concerning the same blessing of God vpon such as haue had such a zealous care of furthering his worship as hath bene spoken of The examples which we mind to bring forth they are partly of such persons as shewe that they had a perswasion in their hearts by faith that God would in mercie recompence their seruice this way done to him and his Church partly they are such vpon whom the blessing of God actually poured downe vpon them is more expresly testified and recorded in the holy word of God Of the faith of the former sort we may take Dauid in his prayer of faith for a worthy example Psalm 86.2 Preserue my soule for I am mercifull saue thou thy seruant that trusteth in thee Be mercifull vnto me ô Lord c. Likewise godly Nehemia that zealous furtherer of Gods true worship and religiō is another most worthy example as we may porceiue by his most humble faithfull prayer chap. 13. vers 14. in these words Rememember me ô my God herein and wype not out my kindnesse that I haue shewed on the house of my God and on the offices thereof And againe in the same chapter verse 22. after that he had reformed the abuse and prophanation of the Lords Sabbath Rem●mber me ô my God concerning this saith he and pardon me according to thy great mercy The honorable good man praieth as we see for Gods blessing as one hauing a liuely faith in his promise but he as well as Dauid shew by their prayers that they are farre rmoued from the pride of the Iusticiarie who presumeth vpon his merit and so maketh himselfe in his best workes abominable in the sight of God In like manner with Dauid and Nehemiah had king Hezekiah a comfortable perswasion that God wold shew him mercy because he had shewed kindnesse to the house of God and to his seruants the ministers therof Yea it was as a sweet refuge and sanctuarie to

fauour shewed and all concealing of benefites bestowed But that vnthankfulnes passeth all saith a third which maketh the good will of him that hath deserued well the occasion of his vnthankfulnesse For as experience sheweth some are so wicked that they delight to speake the worst of those that haue deserued best of them So true is it that an other saieth It is more safe to offend some then to deserue well at their hand More safe I saie for the auoiding of their ill tongue in so much as they seek to make proofe by their hatefull dealing that they are nothing beholding to a man But leauing all other writers let vs come to the holie Scriptures themselues and from them learne what iudgement the Lord God who in all thinges iudgeth most righteous iudgement hath of this sinne and consequentlie what punishment he hath awarded against the fame And first let vs begin with vnthankefulnes to his owne most bounteous and diuine maiestie seeing vnthankfulnes to God is the roote of all vnthankfulnes to men And againe vnthankfulnes to good men redoundeth from man vpon God himselfe whose worke onelie both the worke and also all affection and disposition of the heart of man to goodnes and mercie is For seeing as our Sauiour Christ affirmeth None is good saue one which is God Matth. 19.17 it must needes followe that who soeuer hath anie sparkle of true goodnes or inclination to goodnes in him he hath receiued it as a grace from the good spirit of God Wherfore I doe willingly suppose that how soeuer it may seeme not so properly pertinent to this Treatise to speak of vnthanfulnes to God that yet I shall not perfourme altogether a thanklesse office to beginne herewithall and so proceede to that vnthankefulnesse which is in man toward man First therefore to lay forth the haynousnesse of the sinne of vnthankfulnesse to God the onely fountaine of goodnesse that one place in the first chapter of Paules Epistle to the Romanes verses 21.22.23 may aboundantly suffice The Gentiles saith the holy Apostle are left without excuse Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankefull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darkenesse When they professed themselues to be wise they became fooles For they turned the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of the image of corruptible man and of birds and of foure footed beasts and of creeping things c. Behold here what a great palpable darkenesse followeth vpon the putting out of the light of knowledge by miserable vnthankfulnesse and also what a floud of wickednesse breaketh in by the pulling vp of this sluce as it were For no doubt if the Gentiles had bene thankefull to God in any measure of truth as they ought to haue bene considering the Lord left not himself without witnes among them as the same Apostle testified Act. 14. verse 17. in that he did good and gaue them raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling their heartes with ioy and gladnesse they had surely preuented all that extremitie and outrage of iniquitie which for want hereof they fell into The same thing doth the same Apostle giue againe to vnderstand in his Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 5. verse 4. in that he opposeth it vnto manie sinnes that is to fornication and all vncleannesse and couetousnesse and filthines and foolish talking and iesting all which as the Apostle telleth christians are thinges not comelie in that I saie to all these vices he opposeth this one singular vertue of Thanksgiuing As though he should saie this ought to be as a strong barre against all them wheras on the contrarie if thankfulnes to God be wanting and no due consideration had of his mercies the doore is set wide open vnto them Not without great cause therefore doth the Lord by his holy Prophet Isaiah chap. 1. ver 2.3 c. so vehemently reproue his people for their vnthankfulnesse vnto him Heare ô heauens hearken ô earth saith Isaiah for the Lord hath said I haue nourished and broght vp children but they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Isarael hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstood Ah sinfull nation a people laden with iniquitie c. So then we may easily perceiue that this sinne must needs be a hainous sinne which traiterously letteth in so huge an hoste of enemies to trouble heauen and earth as it were What shall we therefore make lesse of vnthankefulnes to God then to be an vtter trāpling of all Gods gratious benefits blessings and mercies vnder our feet what shall we make it lesse then as a whirlepoole or bottomlesse pit to sink swallow vp consume the blessings of God to no good vse how infinitly soeuer they be Yea how can we make it lesse then to be a most contemptuous lifting vp of the heele against God himselfe after the maner of the pampered beast which very mischieuously striketh his master frō whom he hath all his prouender Deut. 32.13 c. He that should haue bene vpright when he waxed fat spurned with his heele c. Finally what can any man make lesse of it then a most rebellious arming of men euen like Giants to fight against God in heauen as it were with his owne artillerie and weapons here vpon earth The sin therefore being so hainous how thinke we can it stand with the perfect iustice of God that the punishmēt should not accordingly be very sharpe The punishment of vnthankefulnes to God yea manifold and most grieuous and heauie And verily so it was vpon all Israel as followeth in that first chapter of the prophesie of Isaiah For in respect of the sundrie great plagues which fell vpon them for the same their vnthankfulnesse to God they are compared as it were to some spittle-house man who hath no part sound in him For as the Prophet frameth his description of their pittifull estate From the soale of the foote vnto the head there was nothing whole but woundes and swelling and sores full of corruption that also without wrapping and binding vp and without mollifying with oyle c. Read also Psal 78. and Psal 106. The Apostle Paule also in that his first chapter of the epist to the Rom. alleaged before sheweth how horribly the Gentils were punished for their vnthankfulnes he writing thus of them from the 24. verse of the chapter Wherefore also saith the Apostle God gaue them vp to their hearts lustes vnto vncleannesse to defile their own bodies betweene themselues c. And ver 28. he openeth the cause of it For saith he as they regarded not to know God euen so God deliuered them vp into a reprobate mind to do those things which are not conuenient They being full of all vnrighteousnesse fornication wickednes couetousnes maliciousnes c. This verily is a most grieuous punishment when one sin of the wicked