Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	people_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	27	3	9.9062	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45548	The first general epistle of St. John the Apostle, unfolded and applied the first part in two and twenty lectures on the first chapter, and two verses of the second : delivered in St. Dyonis. Back-Church, An. Dom. 1654 / by Nath. Hardy ...	Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.	1656 (1656)	Wing H722; ESTC R31526	315,886	434

light doth illustrate it but yet this is not all for since this light we are speaking of is the way the only way to communion with God remission of sins and eternall life and besides since there are somethings which glitter and yet are not this light such are civ●litie moralitie and pharisaicall sanctity so that it is not only possible but easy to mistake give me leave yet a little more distinguishingly to characterize this light to you To which end since God is compared by the Psalmist to the sun and Christ is called by the Prophet Malachy a sun of righteousnesse and this light is of the same qualitie with Gods nay is a ray and beame of his we may infer that the light to which holinesse is here resembled is sun-light and so the differences which are between the light of the sun and that of the moone and the stars will aptly seeme to difference holinesse from those other things that seeme to come neere to it To instance breefly in a few particulars 1 The light of the sun helpeth a man to see and finde out the filth in his house yea to search into the most secret corners of every roome whereas the moone and star-light only helpeth a man to see a little abroad in the open streets and feilds This is a singular difference betweene pharisaicall and reall sanctity that is curious to looke abroad but seeth nothing at home so that pharisee condemned the publican and saw nothing in himselfe worthy of blame but this is carefull to looke at home and searcheth into the secret corners the very spirit of the minde so did good David when he prayed Cleanse thou me from secret faults 2. The sun-light discovereth moats and pins and atom things of the least and smallest quantity whereas the moone and starlight onely manifests trees and houses and such things as are of a great magnitude This is the difference betweene sanctity and morality morality teacheth a man to avoyd grosse vices notorious offences scandalous enormities but it is only holinesse which causeth a man to make conscience of the least sins as well as the greatest 3. The sun-light representeth those things which may be seen by moone and star-light in another clearer fuller way hence it is we cannot give so true a judgement of the greatness or colour of any thing by moone star as by sun-light the paralel holds in this present matter Holinesse inlightens a man to looke on the same sins which morality and civility discovereth with another and a clearer aspect since whilest the civill person only abhorres them as enimies to his good name and the moralist as repugnant to reason the holy man loaths them as breaches of Gods law and offences to his majesty for so repenting David and the returning prodigall looked upon their sins as against and before God 4. The sun-light though gradually yet powerfully expelleth darknesse out of the aire so that the night becommeth day whereas the moone and star-light only mitigateth and lesseneth it and therefore the darknesse prevayling it is night still this is that which puts a difference between sanctity and civility civility restraineth sin but holiness conquereth it civility lesseneth the actings yet taketh not away the power whereas holiness though not all at once yet by degrees subdueth the power of corruption 5. Finally the sun-light is ever attended with heat driving away cold as well as darkness whereas the moone and star-light can only illuminate but not warme which appeareth in that the moone and stars shine brightest when the night is coldest this is the peculiar efficacy of true holinesse that it doth not only irradiate the understanding but inflame the will and affections with a love to God and zeale for his glory in which respect it is that they whom Christ purifieth to himselfe a peculiar people are said to be zealous of good workes By this time I hope beloved you are in some measure enlightened to understand the nature of this light wherein we are to walke it would not be passed by what this importeth that we are required to walke in this light since the emphasis of the phrase holdeth as well in regard of good as evill The better to cleare this be pleased to consider walking in a double opposition to bare stepping and to standing still 1. It is not taking a step or two in the light which denominateth a man a walker it is not a few good actions but a good conversation which speaketh a man a Christian St. Paul bids Timothy to excercise himselfe in godliness and the Prophets counsell is learne or as it may be rendred accustome your selves to do well It is the constant habituall practise and exercise of holinesse which may most justly be called a walking in the light indeed this walking is not opposed to stumbling no nor yet to falling there is a great deale of difference inter carrentis casum vitae ●ursum between the course of life in which a man runs the falls he may catch in running if not only in some particular acts but our generall course wee practise holinesse though we cannot but sometimes fall into sin we shall be found walking in the light 2. It is not to begin in the way of holinesse and then stand still but we must go forward to perfection St. Austin very aptly expounds ambulare by proficere walking is a proficiency in holinesse indeed both the metaphors in the Text presse this duty holiness is as light which shineth more and more to the perfect day living holily is as walking wherein we go on step by step till we come to the journeys end True it is we do not cannot alwayes walke with even pace sometimes all we can do is to creep and then again our hearts are so enlarged that we can run but however the good Christian will still be going never accounting himself to have attained Indeed so long as we are in this world our holinesse is rather in fieri then in facto perfecting then perfect When we come to be comprehensores we shall sit down but whilest we are viatores we must walk on in the light What now remaineth but that every one of us reflect upon himself and ask his soul this question do I walk in the light to which by a faithful inquiry into our conversation according to the preceding characters we may be able to teturn an answer only for our further quickening in this work I shall briefly mind you of these following considerations 1 There is a great deal of difference between talking of and walking in the light our lips may drop as the honey comb whilest we are in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity many have golden tongues and leaden feet it is not Scripture discourse but a religious course which denominateth a man a Christian. 2. It is one thing to have the light of knowledge and

this respect what Christ said concerning those words he uttered at the raising of Lazarus because of the people that stand by I said it and concerning that voyce from heaven it came not for me but for your sakes the same may be asserted concerning the Apostolical Testimony it was not as if Christ needed it but because we need it for our confirmation and consolation I end this with a double Item To the Ministers of the Gospel that we remember this is our duty as well as it was the Apostles to bear witness to Christ to be an eye witness of Christ risen was indeed peculiar to the Apostles and therefore that St. Paul might be an Apostle Christ was pleased to manifest himself visibly to him but to bear witness to Christ is that which all Ministers are obliged to and therefore to labour that we approve our selves true and faithful witnesses asserting only and wholly the truth of the Gospel It is required in a steward saith the Apostle that he be found faithful no less in a witness Ministers are both Gods stewards and Christs witnesses oh let them discharge their duty with fidelity To the people that they receive with faith what the Apostles and Ministers of Christ attest with truth that as there is fidelitas in teste so there may be fides in auditore these faithfull witnesses may finde believing cares What great reason there is of believing these witnesses wil afterwards appear let it suffice us to know for the present that he who hath appointed them to bear witness expecteth we should embrace it And so much the rather ought this duty to be performed by the people because as we do testari so likewise obtestari protestari for that sometimes is the notion of this word and is so construed here by Cassian we so bear witness to the truth as that we protest against all those who receive not our Testimony we testifie not only for the strengthning of faith in the weak but for the affrighting of them who are obstinate in their infidelity since as we now bear witnesse to you so we shall one day bear witnesse against such and that Testimony which cannot now prevaile for your conversion shall at last come in as an evidence to your condemnation and so much for the first terme 2. The next expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is twice repeated but Englished by two several words we shew and we declare it is that which intimateth what kind of bearing witness the Apostle here intended There are indeed several ways of bearing witnesse to Christ to wit by suffering especial●y death it self for to such the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applied for Christs cause and the Gospels by leading lives answerable to the Christian profession by openly publishing the truth of Christ all of these waies the Apostles did bear witness to Christ the most of them suffering death actually except this Apostle who yet was banished no doubt was ready to have dyed had he been called to it for the name of Iesus nor were any of them wanting by the Holiness and uprightness of their conversations to attest and credi their doctrins but that way of bearing witnes which here is meant appeareth by the subjoyning of this phrase to be the promulging of the Evangelicall truths concerning the Messiah to which those other wayes are necessary appendixes that as we preach we should live and be ready to justifie the truth of what we preach with the losse even of our lives if the providence of God and malice of men put us upon it That then which we have here to take notice of is the readiness of these Apostles to shew and declare the misteries of salvation to the people indeed this was the chief part of their work being therefore compared to lights and Embassadours the nature of light is to discover the business of an Ambassadour is to impart his message and accordingly the work of an Apostle is to reveale the Gospel Indeed for this very end the life was manifested to them that they might manifest it to others Christ made knowne himselfe to them that they might make him knowne to others and it is that which is Gods ayme in what soever knowledge he bestoweth upon any of us He hath given light to the Sun that it should be communicated to the World water to the ocean that it should feed the rivers and talents to Ministers Christians not that they should hide them in a napkin but imploy them for the enriching of their breth●en and therefore if we heare a veni et vide come and see we must expect to heare another voyce abi et narra go and tell and declare it The truth is this is the temper of a religious heart Jeremy saith of himselfe I was weary with forbearing and David I have not hid thy righteousnesse nor concealed thy truth from the great congregation and the Apostles we cannot but speake Spirituall knowledge in the Christian soul is like new wine in the vessel which must have a vent or the oyntment in the right hand which cannot but bewray it self The zeale that is in a faithfull ministers nay in every godly man for the advancing of Gods glory edifying others propagating religion burneth so strongly that it cannot but flame forth in shewing what he knoweth to others oh let every one of us to whom any divine illumination is imparted fulfill Gods designe testify the truth of grace in our hearts by endeavouring to teach and instruct our brethren But this is not all we are to consider in this expression the Greeke word is a compound of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to bring a message 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as from another so Beza glosseth upon the word here we declare as being sent by God to publish this erran and that which hereby is intimated to us is that these holy Apostles did not run before they were sent but had a mission and commission to show and declare the things of the Gospel Indeed St. Paul puts the question and by it no doubt intendeth a negation how shall they preach except they be sent and the Author to the Hebrews is express no man taketh this honour upon him except he be called of God as was Aaron These Apostles were in an immediate and extraordinary way sent by Christ himself the successors of the Apostles were separated and sent by them and all the true Ministers of Christ have been are and shall be sent by their successors until the end of the world to declare this message I would to God this were more seriously pondered on in this licentious age wherein so many presumptuously undertake to preach the Gospel without a call Gregory Nazianzen speaking in his own defence saith he came to this work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of himself but being called