Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	good_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	122	3	10.1164	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61172	A sermon preached before the King at White-Hall, Decemb. the 24th. 1676 by Thomas Sprat ...	Sprat, Thomas, 1635-1713.	1677 (1677)	Wing S5052; ESTC R1442	14,382	41

where doing good Give alms says our Saviour of such things as you have and behold all things are clean to you Let but a Christian perform the great substantial duties of Christianity and all other ordinary things are clean and lawful to him All things of which some things were denied to the Jews all things that are not unclean in their own nature those indeed can be lawful to none The righteousness and holiness of the Gospel consists not in doubting much but in living well not in a zeal against little things but for great things in being zealous for good Works Undoubtedly there may be as much superstition in some cases on a Religious account to forbear doing what we lawfully may do as it is to do what we should not Superstition transgresses on both extremes and may offend as much in a too scrupulous forbearing as in over-doing The true Christian Purity and simplicity of life that is here recommended is therefore such as is not bound to avoid all manner of compliance with the external fashions and comely ceremonies of human life and conversation 'T is enough if it uses ceremonies as ceremonies if it prefers the substance far before them if it chiefly regards the inward reality 'T is such as is not at all oppos'd to decence or civility or good manners or good breeding but to craft unjust artifice guile and dissimulation 'T is such as according to our Saviours own precept must have the harmlesness of the Dove and yet may have the wisdom of the Serpent That wisdom which single in the Serpent is hurtful and poisonous when it is temper'd with the innocence of the Dove is most commendable most useful In a word 't is such a simplicity as St. Paul the Christian put on when he ceas'd to be Saul the Pharisee such as St. Paul himself describes when he thus exhorts the Corinthians Brethren says he Be not children in understanding in malice be ye children in understanding be ye men You see to all true Christians a manly understanding is as much commanded as a child-like purity so that in the most Euangelical simplicity the prudence and discretion of a wise man may be should be joyn'd with the native innocence and inoffensive meekness of a little child You now behold the sum of those duties to which by the words of our Saviour in my Text we are all oblig'd They represent to us the necessity of a simplicity of mind in receiving the Laws of Christ and of an honest plainess of heart in living accordingly which indeed are the two principal things that in all true Religion are to be studied and practis'd by all good men Some proportion and degree of both these virtues I say is necessary to all Christians I do not say the highest and most complete degree of them to any that is inconsistent with the frailties of our mortal condition which God himself is pleased to consider in the gentleness of his Precepts His Laws are perfect as he is perfect holy as he is holy But seeing we cannot be equally so by reason of human infirmity God is pleas'd to accept of integrity instead of perfection to prefer simplicity before hypocrisie confess'd ignorance before presumption What we really and humbly endeavour out of his abundant Grace he will help us to perform or accept of our endeavours As we must strive to be children in innocence so in his infinite goodness he looks on us to be but as children in weakness I am not ignorant that this Doctrine of Christian simplicity may sound strange in the ears of those men who consult only the low and mean interests of this life and therefore fancy themselves in the proud imaginations of their own hearts to be the only wise and subtle men of this world With such men simplicity generally passes in the worst sense for pusillanimity weakness folly for a poor-spirited Christian Grace that amongst the antient Philosophers they think would scarce have escap'd the being reckon'd for a vice But let none be too hasty in condemning the true genuine simplicity for I must tell them it has always had an extraordinary preeminence and dignity not only in Religion though chiefly there not only in the sight of God though that certainly were sufficient but in all other things in the judgment of all truly-wise men in all the works of nature and art in all the best practice of civil life If we observe the order of the whole Creation and the ranks of all things visible and invisible are not the highest and most perfect Beings still most pure most simple and most of one nature Thus it is from the noblest bodies to the souls of men from the souls of men to Angels from Angels to God himself the higher any of these rise in their excellence they are still the more simple in their essence If we examine all the productions of mens hands or minds is not the greatest perfection of all Art a most exact imitation of true nature There is some kind of easie solid plainess that far excels all the comeliness of artificial ornaments There is some kind of simplicity that is attended with inexpressible majesty That says St. Chrysostom on those words of St. Matthew like to these in my Text that is the great design of all Philosophy that is the very life of Angels to have the highest understanding accompanied with unfeigned simplicity If we reflect on the most polite customs and manners of human life nothing is truly graceful that is over-mix'd or unnaturally forc'd no word we speak no phrase we use no gesture no tone of voice that is over-artificial but it presently offends nothing in beauty in habit in action in motion can please that is affectedly labor'd and over-adorn'd nothng has so much reverence in human conversation as true ingenuity manly plainess gentle easiness undissembled sincerity nothing sooner or more or longer affects men with delight and love and admiration nothing is more honorable nothing more amiable nothing indeed more easie and safe It is very probable that more deep dark reserv'd crafty men have at last fail'd of their designs even in this world than the plain upright houest men The crafty man has many parts to play many minds to put on many faces to shift so that it is almost impossible for him so to act all as not to be discover'd in some and then he will be suspected in all whereas the honest man has but one part to perform which is his own and that far more easie for him to do bycause he always acts according to plain nature Thus even in all worldly things as nothing is perfect without decence so nothing can be decent without simplicity But above all things this is true in Religion especially in the Christian Religion The Gospel in the great Duties and Truths of it is a plain and simple thing it is simple in its end which is one and always