Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	anger_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	23	3	9.9109	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41197	A brief exposition of the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians by James Fergusson.	Fergusson, James, 1621-1667.	1659 (1659)	Wing F772; ESTC R27358	577,875	820

bitter and implacable persecutors as having some respect to conscience in other things and being acted in this from the principles of a deluded conscience Joh. 16. 2. which of all other ties doth most strictly bind and most effectually drive forward to fulfill its dictates especially in things of religious concernment Act. 13. 50. for Paul who profited in the Jews Religion above his equals and was exceedingly zealous did persecute the Church 9. The life and way of some who are engaged in a false Religion may be so blamelesse and according to the dictates of their deluded conscience so strict as that it may be a copie unto those who professe the true Religion and a reproof to many such for their palpable negligence so was Paul's way while he was a Pharisee even such as may serve for a copie unto Christians to walk by in several things as first to be active in spreading the true Religion in our places and stations and bearing down of contrary Errors as he was in persecuting the Christian Church because it was opposite to the Jewish Religion professed by him Secondly that what we do in Religion or for God we do it not negligently but with all our might Eccl. 9. 10. and to the uttermost of what our power can reach as he did persecute the Church not lazily but above measure or extreamly Thirdly that we labour to profit advance and grow in Religion both as to the knowledge of Truth contained in it Heb. 6. 1. and practise according to those Truths 2 Pet. 1. 5. as he profited in the Jewish Religion Fourthly that in the matter of growth there be an holy emulation and strife with others that we may outstrip them as he profited above many of his equal● Fiftly that we be zealous for our Religion as having love to it and to the honouring of God whether by our selves or others according to it Act. 15. 3. together with grief and anger when God is dishonoured and Religion wronged Joh. 2. 15 16 17. as Paul was zealous of the Traditions of his fathers for zeal hath in it a mixture of love and anger Doct. 10. As love to the honour of God may engage a man sometimes to speak to his own commendation So there would be that modesty and sobriety of spirit as it may appear he doth not speak from arrogancy or pride and that he seeketh not his own commendation in speaking for Paul commendeth his own diligence and abilities that thereby he may commend Free-grace which delivered him out of that state but with great modesty for he saith not he profited more than all but more than many and not more than his superiours but more than his equals to wit for time and age and those not in all the world but of his own nation 11. As our affections of joy love hatred anger and grief are by nature so corrupt Eph. 2. 3. that even the choicest of them if they be not brought in subjection to the Word by the Spirit of God will lay forth themselves rather upon forbidden and unlawfull objects than that which is warrantable and commanded by the Lord So our zeal and fervency of spirit in particular will bend it self more toward the maintenance of Error than of Truth for Error is the birth of our own invention Gal. 5. 20. and hath the rise from some unmortified lust within which it doth gratifie 2 Tim. 4. 3. so is not Truth Thus Paul sheweth that his zeal tended more to maintain that part of the Jewish Religion which was unwarrantable to wit the unwritten Traditions than all the rest of it And was much more zealous of the Traditions of my fathers saith he Vers. 15. But when it pleased God who separated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace 16. To reveal his Son in me that I might preach Him among the Heathen immediately I conferred not with flesh and bloud 17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before me but I went into Arabia and returned again unto Damoscus HEre is a second Evidence of the truth of what he formerly asserted ver 11. and 12. to wit that as God in His providence had been making way both in Paul's birth and education for that which He had purposed to imploy him in so when it pleased God at the time of his gracious and effectual calling ver 15. to make Christ and the doctrine of Redemption by Christ known unto him by extraordinary and immediate revelation Act. 9. 4. that as an Apostle immediately called by God ver 1. he might publish the knowledge of Christ among the Gentiles he was so much perswaded of his immediate Call from God that he did not debate the matter neither with himself nor others who might have disswaded him from giving obedience to it ver 16 but immediately went about the discharging of his Apostolick Office not without great hazard and pains to himself in Arabia and Damascus without so much as once visiting any of the Apostles ver 17. far lesse went he to be instructed in the knowledge of the Gospel by them or to receive Ordination unto the Ministerial Office from them as his adversaries did falsly alleage of him the falshood whereof he is here making evident From Vers. 15. Learn 1. Such is the power of God's good pleasure whereby He doth whatsoever He willeth in Heaven and Earth Ps. 135. 6. that the will of man though never so deeply engaged in the course of sin and wickednesse cannot resist it but most willingly doth yeeld unto it whenever the Lord thinketh fit to let forth that His good pleasure in its gracious and powerfull effects of drawing a sinner out of Nature to the state of Grace as it appeareth from the adversative particle But whereby the Apostle opposeth Gods pleasure to his own former weaknesse as prevailing over it But when it pleased God c. 2. The fountain-cause of man's salvation and of all things tending to it especially of his effectual calling and of that whereby he is made first to differ from another is God's good-pleasure and nothing present Eph. 2. 1. or foreseen to be Rom. 9. 11. in the person who is called for the Apostle ascribeth all of that kind in himself to the pleasure of God But when it pleased God to reveal His Son in me 3. The disposing of events or of things which shall fall out together with the time when they shall fall out are wholly ordered by God's will and pleasure for this pleasure of His circumscribeth even the time of Paul's calling But when it pleased God then and neither sooner nor later was Christ revealed to him 4. The Lord by His working in us and particular acts of providence towards us is often making way for some hid design and purpose of His about us which for the time we are ignorant of but when it appeareth by the event a wonderfull contexture of providences making way for it and

acceptation with Christ his being approven of Him and the testimony of a good conscience for fidelity in His Service more than all the favour countenance applause or any advantage flowing from these which he can receive from men and before he hazard the losse of the former he will rather a thousand times imbrace with gladnesse the most certain losse of the latter for Paul maketh this an argument why he did not seek to please men because that hereby he should lose the approbation of Christ F●ra if I yet pleased men I should not be the Servant of Christ. Vers. 11. But I certifie you Brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man 12. For I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. THe Apostle addeth a third Argument to prove the Divinity of that Gospel which he had preached whereby he asserteth also his own lawfull Call to be an Apostle which was questioned by his adversaries affirming as it appeareth from his so much insisting to demonstrate the contrary from ver 13. chap. 1. to ver 15. chap. 2. that he was no Apostle but some ordinary Preacher who had received the Doctrine of the Gospel at the second hand only and having so received it had now himself corrupted it contrary to what was taught by the other Apostles James and Cephas of whose Authority and Patrociny his adversaries did falsly boast whereby they created a prejudice in the minds of those Galatians both against Paul's person and his doctrine which he wipeth off while he prosecuteth this Argument at large And in the first place he propoundeth the Argument as a thing known at least which could not be contradicted to wit that the Gospel preached by him was not after man ver 11. that is as he explaineth presently he neither received it of man or he received not his Office to teach and preach the Gospel from any meer man and so was no ordinary Preacher Neither was he taught it by man that is the knowledge which he had of the Gospel was not by any ordinary mean or instruction from men and so he had it not at the second hand but it was immediately revealed to him by Jesus Christ and therefore behoved to be divine ver 12. Doct. 1. It is the part of a faithful and prudent Minister by loving and affectionate insinuations to bear himself in upon the affections of people even though deeply prejudicate against him so long as there is any hope of gaining them for thus doth Paul to these Galatians while he calleth them Brethren 2. It is the usual custom of Hereticks and adversaries of Truth when they have nothing to say in reason against the Doctrine it self to cast reproach upon the persons of those who preach it and especially to question their Call and Authority to preach that so they may indirectly at least reflect upon the Doctrine which they preach So do the Papists now against the Ministers of the Reformed Churches and so did the false Apostles then against Paul as we cleared in giving the sense of the words and appeareth from his asserting his Call to be an Apostle It is not after men neither received I it from man 3. When subtil wits do thus puzle the People of God by such diversions from the main purpose and by Arguments which do not directly strike at the Truth in question it is nevertheless the part of Christs able and faithfull Ministers to take off those indirect prejudices by shewing how groundlesse they are and particularly they are not only to clear the truth of the Doctrine but also their own Call from God to preach that Doctrine for so doth Paul here and to the end of the Chapter Now I certifie you Brethren c. 4. As none may take upon him to dispense the Word of God publickly unto others without a lawful Call from God to do it Rom. 10. 15. So there are several sorts of callings one of men and ordinary when God calleth by the voices and consent of men following the Laws of the Word 2 Tim. 2. 2. another of God and extraordinary when He doth call immediately the Call of the Church not interveening Joh. 20. 21. for Paul doth not preach untill he receive the Office to preach and this not of man in the ordinary way and so of God extraordinarily For neither received I it of man saith he 5. They who are to teach others are first to be taught themselves to wit ordinary Preachers by ordinary means whereby they may be enabled by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince gainsayers Tit. 1. 9. The Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth Mal. 2. 7. for as Paul received an Office to preach the Gospel so he was taught and instructed in the Gospel I neither received it neither was taught it but by revelation 6. It was required to the Office of an Apostle that the person called to it should have the infallible knowledge of the truth of the Gospel and this not wholly by the help of humane means as we do now learn knowledge at Schools of Learning and by our own private study but also and mainly by immediate inspiration from the Spirit of God for Paul sheweth that the Gospel was not taught him of man and this he saith not to depresse humane learning and the knowledge of divine Mysteries which we attain unto by the help of Learned-men and of their Writings this being the ordinary way of attaining knowledge now 1 Tim. 4. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 2. but that hereby he may obviate the calumny of his adversaries who alleaged he had the knowledge of the Gospel by ordinary instruction from men only and so was no Apostle Neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ that is it was immediately revealed unto him by Christ. 7. And this that Christ is opposed unto man doth point at His Deity See Vers. 1. Doct. 5. Vers. 13. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews Religion how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted it 14. And profited in the Jews Religion above many my equals in mine own Nation being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers BEcause the Argument presently mentioned is most weighty therefore the Apostle doth at large prosecute it and giveth in this Chapter four Evidences of the truth of what he asserted in it to wit That neither the knowledge which he had of the Gospel was from humane perswasion or by ordinary means nor yet his Call to preach the Gospel was from the suffrage of men or any Authority conveyed by man but both of them were immediately from God The first Evidence relating mainly to the first branch of the Assertion is The hostile mind which he carried against the Christian Church while he was a Pharisee Act. 26. 5. in persecuting and making