Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	rule_v	wit_n	work_v	3,117	5	12.1843	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13024	The Christians sacrifice much better then all the legall sacrifices of the Iewes; and without the which, all the said legall sacrifices of the Iewes, euen when they were in force, were not acceptable to God. Or, a logicall and theologicall exposition of the two first verses of the twelfth to the Romanes, with all the doctrine in the said two verses, plainly laid forth, and fitly applied according as these times do require the same. Wherein also besides the orthodoxall exposition of the said words, diuers other places of Scripture by the way occurring, before somewhat obscure, are so naturally interpreted, as that the iudicious reader shall thinke his paines well bestowed in vouchsafing to reade this treatise following. With the authors postscript to his children, as it were his last will and testament vnto them.	Stoughton, Thomas.	1622 (1622)	STC 23314; ESTC S100120	224,816	288

life It were better for vs to haue no wit no reason no vnderstanding no learning then not so to sacrifice and employ them Herein let vs not forget the sharp yet most iust sentence against him that had not employed Math. 25. 26. that one talent committed vnto him to the benefit of his Lord of whom he had receiued it though he had not wasted it neither by it oppressed or wronged any man but kept it without doing any good wi●h it Oh let vs I say remember this and learne by it to be the more careful to sacrifice the foresaid faculties of our soules as before hath bin said Our thoughts also must in like maner be sacrificed and The sacrifice of our thoughts Gen 6. 5. Math. 3. 9. and 9. 4. both restrained from all euill in which respect all euill thoughts are condemned and forbidden and also wholy set vpon God and all goodnesse both towards God himselfe and also towards our neighbor Such as our thoughts are such are our words for of the abundance of the heart Math. 12. 34. the mouth speaketh such also are our actions In this consideration therfore for the full sacrificing of our thoughts vnto God if we will be blessed we must meditate in the law of God day and night yea by such meditation our practice Psal 1. 2. will be according and we shall be wiser then our enemies and haue more vnderstanding then our teachers or ancients Psal 119. 97. 98. 99. As this concerneth all so principally them that are in greatest and highest places and yet for all that such doe Deut. 17. 19. Iosh 1. 8. most neglect it The worse is it for them that are vnder such and the greater shall be the woe of themselues in the end That which hath bin said of our thoughts is also to be To sacrifice our memorie said of our memorie It were better neuer to haue learned any thing then to forget it or remembring it not to make vse of it as occasions shall require Therefore our Sauiour reproued his disciples for their forgetfulnesse of his Math. 16 9. Mark 8. 17. two miracles in feeding many thousands with a few loaues or at lest for their not making vse of them For it is all one to forget a thing and remembring of it not to make vse of it This forgetfulnesse was the cause of Peters Math. 26. 75. fearfull fall and his remembrance of it the meanes of his recouerie Therefore our Sauiour also exhorteth the Angell of the Church of Ephesus to remember from whence Reuel 2. 5. he was fallen and so to repent c and the Angell of the Church of Sardi that hauing a name to be liuing and yet chap. 3. 3. was dying to remember how he had receiued and heard to hold fast and to repent These things teach vs that our memorie of our falls and of the things we haue heard and learned is to be sacrificed by sanctifying and applying the same to repentance Our will is sacrificed to God when it is conformed to The sacrifice of our will the reuealed will of God in his word yea also when it is subiected to the secret will of God by his prouidence either reuealed or to be reuealed so that touching the one we may say with Iob The Lord hath giuen and the Lord Iob 1. 21. hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord and touching Math. 26. 37. the other we may also say Not our will but thy will be done Touching the reuealed will of God in his word our will is sacrificed when it is alwayes framed thereunto and by prayer that this will of God may be done in earth as it is chap. 6. 10. and Luk. 2. in heauen so that not to endeuour to do all things accordingly is a great abusing of his name in so praying Touching our affections they must likewise be dedicated To sacrifice our affections and sacrificed vnto God otherwise being suffered to haue their swinge they many times over-ouer-rule wit reason vnderstanding iudgement thoughts memorie and will That these our affections therefore loue hatred anger c. may be sacrificed this is first to be obserued that they attend vpon the former and higher powers of the soule wit reason vnderstanding c. and that they be not suffered in any case to dominiere ouer them or to go without them They must not go before them but follow after them and be directed by them Therefore euen touching loue the most principall affection of all the rest the Apostle will haue it to abound in knowledge and in all iudgement Philip. 1. 9. Without knowledge and iudgment we may and wil loue either too much or too little yea we cannot but so do Knowledge and iudgement this iudgement is the application of knowledge vnto particulars must direct our loue both touching the obiect thereof and also touching the measure thereof The first and most chiefe obiect Mat. 22. 37. c. of our loue is God himselfe the next is our neighbour The one is not to be loued without the other Yet God is most to be loued and that for himselfe our neighbour for God In both these our loue may erre without direction from knowledge and iudgement By God himselfe we meane his word also and all his ordinances for he that loueth not these loueth not God and such as our loue to God is such will be our regard also Leuit. 19. 18. to these By our neighbour also our selues are to be vnderstood because our loue to our selues is the rule of our loue to our neighbour for so it is said in the former place and in the law And although our loue to God cannot be too great in respect of the measure yea not answerable to the measure yet it may swarue in respect of the effects namely when our loue to God shall be such that it carrieth vs beyond his word and not thinking the word to containe duties enough we shall do more then the word requireth and hence commeth all superstition But I may not thus amply discourse of euery affection Our hatred is sacrificed to God when it is bent against Hatred all that God hateth and when we hate no further then we haue warrant from the word of God The same is to be said of our anger envie feare griefe ioy c. The obiect of these and all other our affections must be such as the word warranteth and no other Neither must the cause measure or time exceed the rule of the word for them They must be employed for God not against God They must all be directed by God and by his word not by man or by the word or will of any man of ourselues or of any other In this sacrificing of our affections let vs especially remember to sacrifice our sorrow and griefe in mourning for and lamenting and bewailing our sinnes according to the number and

holinesse Sixtly all such as haue partaked of the mercies of God before spoken of among other were incorporated into Christ Iesus and made his members As therefore Christ Mark 1. 14. Luk. 4. 34. is the holy one of God so acknowledged by the diuels themselues so such must be all his members Seuenthly all that attend vpon Princes must be apparelled accordingly whereby to be fit for such attendance They must not come before them in rags but they must so present themselues vnto them as they may no wayes be offensiue Therefore Ioseph sent for out of prison before Gen. 41. 14. Pharaoh shaued himselfe and changed his raiment and so came vnto Pharaoh And when Ester presented her selfe Ester 5. 1. vnto Ahashuerosh she first put on her royall apparell Is not the same intimated vnto vs by that that is said of the Kings daughter being first said to be all glorious within and to haue Psal 45. 13. 14. her clothing wrought with gold before she be said to be brought before the King in raiment of needle-worke c. Certainly this is the fitter for this our present purpose because all such to whom and of whom the Apostle here speaketh are also members of the said Kings daughter of the Church of God of the which in the Articles of our faith we confesse this to be a speciall prerogatiue that she is holy According hereunto Dauid said I will wash my hands in Psal 26. 6. innocencie so will I compasse thy altar O Lord. Eightly and lastly not to be too tedious in multiplying of reasons we are all now as before hath bin said Priests vnto God What a shame therefore is it that any of vs should present our selues vnto God without holinesse Doth not the Prophet pray Let thy Priests be clothed with Psal 132. 9. 1. Sam 2. 17. righteousnes As in the time of the Law for the sinne of the Priests the people abhorred the sacrifices of the Lord and as now the vicious life of some Ministers of the Gospel maketh many to stand aloofe from the Gospell not regarding 1. Tim. 6. 1. it but despising it and the profession of it so the life of many professors of the Gospell who are all Priests vnto God is so scandalous that it causeth the very name of God and his doctrine to be blasphemed Neither are we onely 1. Pet 2. 9. Priests but also Kings vnto God and a royall priesthood or Exod. 19. 6. a kingdome of Priests If Kings attendants must be apparelled Apoca. 1 6. chap. 5. 10. fit to attend vpon kings must not Kings much more haue their royal garments and princely ornaments What better ornament then this holinesse What better chaines Pro 1. 9. chap. 4. 9. for the necke what more glorious crowne for the head of Princes then this holinesse Therefore in the former place of Exodus the Lord saith not Ye shall be vnto me a kingdome of Priests but he also addeth and a holy nation And without this garment Christians do disgrace their royall dignitie yea they also preiudice the glorie of God himselfe In which respect our Sauiour exhorteth vs to let our light Mat. 5. 16. so shine before men that they seeing our good works that is the holinesse of our conuersation may glorifie our Father which is in heauen Hath not Peter also the very like exhortation 1. Pet. 2. 11. 12. confirmed from the same end The vse of all this is first to reproue all them that will The vse of that before said of our being holy haue the names of Christians and are ready to defie all them and to spit in their faces that shall denie them to be Christians yet liue most profanely leudly loosly dissolutely yea in all grosse iniquitie swearing blaspheming contemning the word and Sacraments seldome coming vnto them not regarding the Lords dayes or any exercise of religion especially if they be but halfe a furlong from the place or it blow or raine or snow yea also quarrelling drinking so long till they cannot stand neither speake a wise word being likewise extremely couetous partly in gathering wealth without any satietie like to the horsleaches two daughters yea though they haue no charge Pro. 30. 15. Eccles 4. 8. neither know who shall enioy that which they gather partly in sparing and neither giuing nor lending where great need requireth but to such as aske the one or the other complaining alwayes of their owne wants and saying they must borrow How cōtrary are these things to the Psal 112. 4. 5. 6. 9. description of a blessed man fearing God If they be admonished of these things they thinke it enough to answer that they say their prayers euery day though wretched men they vnderstand not a word of their prayers neither do any thing according to their prayers neuer hallowing the name of God shutting their eares and hearts against Gods kingdome neuer regarding to do the will of God vpon earth abusing of their daily bread and drink not forgiuing such as trespasse against them not shunning any tentations but rushing into the thickest of them Secondly for our instruction let vs when we draw neare vnto God remember this holinesse according to the commandement Exod. 3. 5. Iosu 5. 15. of God giuen both to Moses and also to Ioshua for the putting off of their shooes because the ground was holy according to the example of Iakob who going to Bethel at the commandement of God charged all that were with him to put away the strange gods that were amongst Gen. 35. 1. 2. them to cleanse and change their garments according to the commandement of God to Moses for sanctifying the people one day and the next and for their washing their clothes before the Lords giuing his Law in their audience Exod. 19. 10. 11. according to the practise of Dauid before mentioned who washed his hands in innocencie and so compassed the Lords altar And to comprehend many things in a few words according to Salomons counsell for looking to both Eccles 4. 17. or 5. 1. our feete at our entrance into the house of God to the charge of our Sauiour for being first reconciled to our brother before Mat. 5. 23. 1. Tim. 2. 8. Iam. 1. 21. 1. Pet. 2. 1. 2. we offer our gift of Paul to Timothy for mens lifting vp pure hands without wrath c. in prayer of Iames also and Peter for casting away all filthinesse c. before the hearing of the word And touching the hearing of the word in such maner is there not great reason thereof sith Christ 2. Cor. 13. 3. 1. Cor. 3. 9. himselfe speaketh in his Ministers and God himselfe worketh also with them worketh I say not laboureth For to speake properly God cannot be said to labour because he doth whatsoeuer he will without any labour onely by Psal 33. 6. 9. speaking his word The same is to be said