Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	ghost_n	holy_a	scripture_n	4,332	5	5.8070	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19279	The true and perfect copie of a godly sermon preached in the minister at Lincolne, by the reuerend father in God, Thomas L. Bishop of Lincolne the .28. of August. Anno. 1575.	Cooper, Thomas, 1517?-1594.	1575 (1575)	STC 5691; ESTC S111168	25,439	76

ioliest sort of men in this worlde or if many doe not heare thē who is it y by the obstinate contempt of Gods holy worde the disdain of his messengers and by the vnbrideled loosenesse of mens liues may not iustly gather that this opinion is in the hearts of very many But I wil answere them as S. Peter in effect doth immediately folowing that is that heauen and earth doth so long remaine because they are preserued by the worde of their almightie Creator and maker who as by his worde he made it of nothing so when he shall appoint the time it shall ende and perishe for the same worde that had power to make the worlde of nothing hath also like power when it shall seeme good to dissolue it For pro●e here of the world continued from the first creation vntill the generall deluge of Noah being appointed by the determined decree of Gods holy prouidence that it should so do and when the same almightie worde of God had sayd that for sinne he would destroy the whole worlde with water it was without stay perfourmed Therefore séeing the same prouidence by his holy spirit hath sayde also that in the ende it shall be consumed with fire the same worde shall as assuredly be veryfied For heauen and earth shall perishe and passe away in vanitie but the worde of God shall not perish but that euery iote thereof shal be perfourmed But as I haue sayd these men make small account of Gods worde I will therefore leaue Christians and turne my selfe to Heathens and Paganes for suche are these scorning and loose Epicures of whome S. Peter speaketh although they hide themselues vnder the cloakes of Christians I aske them therefore whether they beléeue there is a God or no If they will say no For the foolish hath saide in his heart there is no God Then will I will them to beholde the whole world and the maruellous workemanship thereof The Sunne the Moone the starres and planets with the wonderfull mouing and course of the same the earth the water the ayre and all the beautifull furniture thereof beastes trées plantes foules fyshes rayne haile thunder lightning with the residue of Gods maruellous workes in his creatures and the maner of growing bréeding and encreasing of the same and vndoubtedly the almightie power the excéeding wisedome and vnestimable goodnesse that shall appeare in these things must néedes conuince them in their owne consciences that there is a God which in so excéeding and goodly maner hath framed them Yea if he be worthy the name of a man let himselfe consider but the framing of a litle babe in his mothers wombe from séed to skynne sinews veynes arteries bones flesh lyfe and reasonable soule and verie reason it selfe will tell him that it is an euerlasting power that doeth it For the weighing thereof hath cōuinced the consciences of great learned Philosophers that haue striued to persuade them selues the contrary Oh wil they say these are done by course of nature Why and what is that they call Nature or what is it that doeth directe that course is it any thing else then the finger of God working in his creatures Seneca an heathen Philosopher can witnesse so much Séeing then there must néedes be a God let them reason thus with themselues If there be a God he must néedes be a iust God and the office of iustice is to rewarde them that be good and to punish them that be euill For this direction the same God by nature hath imprinted in vs But in this lyfe although God oftentimes shewe some notable examples of his iustice in rewarding the good and punishing the euill yet most commonly the wicked doe prosper and flourishe as Dauid in sundry places complayneth and cōtrarywise the faythfull and godly are afflicted In so muche that S. Paule sayth vvho so euer vvill liue godly in Christ Iesu shall be sure to suffer persecution and therfore it is truely said Crux comes euangelij the crosse is the vsuall companion of the Gospell Yea such is the miserie and trouble of good men in this worlde that Saint Paule sayth if there be not a resurrection of the deade and another life after this Christians are of all other most miserable Christ him selfe in many places telleth his faythfull and blessed Apostles and vnder their names all other true Christians that they shoulde not in this worlde be so sure of any thing as of affliction trouble and persecution Wherefore it must néedes folow as a most necessarie consequent that after this life there must be a iudgement in which men according to the vnfallible iustice of God must receiue as Christ sayth in this place according to their doings be it good or bad This reason hath persuaded the most parte of the heathen Philosophers that the soule of man is immortal and receiueth after this life eyther reward or punishment Yea in persuasion hereof some with their owne handes haue dispatched them selues out of this life as it is writen of Cato Vticensis and other And a great number vpon the same hope of a better life after this haue constantly contemned death and cherefully receiued the same Seing then heathen persones that neuer had the true knowledge of God by the very leading of humane reason haue growne to an assured persuasion that after this life there shuld be a iudgement for the rewarding of the godly and punishing of the wicked What a dreadfull in●idelitie is it in Christians to séeme any thing to doubt of the same Séeing therefore it is by Gods holy worde and by reason conuinced that there shall be a iudgement after this life it remayneth that we as certeinly vnderstand that it shall come to passe very shortly And for proofe hereof let vs first cal to minde the similitude and borowed speeches that the holy Ghost vseth in the scriptures to declare the sodaine comming thereof Christ himselfe and S. Paule compareth it to a thief that commeth sodainly in the night when th● master and family thinketh of no danger but that they may quietly take their rest If the housholder had knovvē saith christ at vvhat houre the thiefe vvould haue come he vvoulde haue vvatched and not suffred his house to haue ben broken vp VVatch you therefore and be ready for the sonne of man vvil come you knovve not at vvhat houre S. Paule resembleth the comminge of the last day not onely to the sodaine assault of a thiefe in the night but to the throwes of a woman traueiling with chylde For this he saith VVhen they shal say vnto you peace peace and all is vvell then sodainly shall destruction come vpon them as the panges of a vvoman in trauaile they shall not scape it In which wordes he noteth the quietnes secure peace of confidence good estate y men shal haue at the later day Christ Matt. 24. cōpareth it to a flashe of lightening comming from the East vnto the West then which