Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	change_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	16	3	9.1788	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10010	The saints qualification: or A treatise I. Of humiliation, in tenne sermons. II. Of sanctification, in nine sermons whereunto is added a treatise of communion with Christ in the sacrament, in three sermons. Preached, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Doctor in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometime preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1633 (1633)	STC 20262; ESTC S115180	353,805	720

of chaffe preserv'd from burning Is it not because there is some Corne some Wheate mixed therewith If the Corne be once out will not the Lord as men use to doe after winnowing set the chaffe on fire As women with childe are grieved to be delivered so the Lord stayes till the world be delivered as it were of all his Elect ones of all the Saints of all his holy and zealous ones and then shall be brought forth the Iudgement of the great day The World may cast out these men as the Sea doth Pearles among mire and dirt but they are Pearles notwithstanding God knowes them to be so and wise-men know them to be so yea Pearles excelling other men as much as Iewels doe common stones as much as Lilies and Roses doe Thornes and Bryers among which they grow What 's the reason that Elijah is called the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen thereof but because hee was an holy man that did much for Gods glory that did more advantage the State at home and did more prevaile abroad than all the Chariots and Horsemen And may not we apply this to the zealous among us Therefore when we injury any of them doe not wee cut off the haire from Sampsons head wherein the strength of every Countrey and Nation and every Citie and Towne consists Yea the cutting off of them is like the cutting off of his lockes which the more the grow the more strength a Kingdome hath I say no more but commend it to every man in his place wishing that you would let it be your generall care to encourage true Religion and Zeale the omitting whereof I am perswaded is one of those things which causeth the Lords hand to be stretched forth against us Secondly if it be Zeale that turnes away the LORDS wrath then where is the Zeale that should be among us Are wee not rather fallen into those later times the Apostle speakes of which should have a forme of Religion without the Zeale and Power and Life of it And if Zeale turnes away Gods wrath certainly then this formalitie this overlinesse of Religion this coldnesse without Zeale and Power is it that brings on his wrath It is true and we cannot deny but knowledge abounds amongst us as the waters in the Sea But where is the Salt That is where is that Zeale and holinesse that should season all our knowledge Where is the Fire that should adde practice to our knowledge and make it an acceptable sacrifice to GOD Wee have the light of former Times but not their heat As he complaines Ignis qui in Parentibus fuit calidus in nobis lucidus The Fire which in ancient Times was hot is now onely light We thinke it enough to goe to Church to receive the Sacrament and so to keepe a round as it were to doe as most doe being carried about with the generall course of the World as the Planets are with the rest of the Spheres contrary to that which should bee their proper motion But I beseech you consider it Is this Religion Is this the Power of Godlinesse is this to be Baptized with the Holy Ghost which is as Fire Surely Religion stands not in these outward formalities but in changing the heart in making us New Creatures in mortifying our Lusts and thorowly purging out the love of every corruption Therefore if you will turne away Gods wrath turne your formality into Zeale that is content not your selves with the performance of the duties of Religion externally but get that wherein the power of godlinesse consists else the outside of Duties will not divert Wrath. Againe did Zeale turne away the wrath of the Lord then where are our zealous affections Why are we not zealous for the Lord and zealous against sinne You know Christ died for this end that hee might purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Titus 2.14 Men doe good actions as a Taske they are glad when they be over but doe you them with much intention much f●rvencie much desire be you a people zealous of good workes Therefore in Rom. 12.11 They are put together be fervent in spirit and serving the Lord implying that the Lord respects no service but as it is joyned with fervencie Therefore know that it is not enough to serve the Lord in an ordinary Tract you must mend your pace to heaven it is not enough to goe but you must runne the way of Gods Commandements And as you must be zealous for him so you must be zealous against evill For you must know this and marke it well it is not enough to abstaine from sinne it is not that alone that God will accept but he lookes that you should hate sinne As it is said of Lot his righteous soule was vexed with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites that is his heart rose against them there was an inward distaste against them the like you shall see in David and Moses You will say I hope I detest sinne and am angry with it It may be so perhaps you are angry with sinne but Zeale you know is an intention of the affection of hatred and it is required that you hate sinne Revel 2.6 This thou hast that thou hatest the worke of the Nicolaitans which I also hate You will say How doe they differ You shall know hatred by this First it is a constant affection it abides with us Anger goes away as all passions doe it is but for a fit for a flash on some occasion Againe hatred is alwayes of generals the sheepe hates all Wolves we hate all Toads all Serpents I say wheresoever there is hatred it turnes to the whole Species Now doe you hate all sinne all kindes of sinne one as well as another Doe you not only abstaine from them but also hate them of what sort soever they bee Lastly Hatred seekes the utter destruction of the thing hated Anger would have but a proportion of Iustice as Aristotle sayes Now is it so with you Doe you seeke the utter destruction of sinne abstaining not onely from grosse sinnes but from all dalliances from the least touch of sinne cleansing your selves from all pollusions of the flesh and spirit If you will be zealous for the Lord then know that this is required that you not onely doe things but that you doe them zealously that you not onely abstaine from sinne but that you hate it Againe if it be Zeale that turnes away the wrath of the Lord then where is our boldnesse our courage our forwardnesse for the Truth Why are we so fearefull and shie of doing the thing that otherwise we thinke meet to bee done For Zeale hath that pr●pertie among the rest it makes men bold the Zeale of the Apostles was knowne by their boldnesse But you will say A man may be too bold It is very true when the horse runnes up and downe and is at libertie

the Prophets prophecie not but is willing to be informed to the full yet when he hath it he acts it not he doth not exercise nor practice this Truth That is another degree of with-holding it And this is a frequent Case for a man may know and be informed in all Truths yet they may lye there unused and unacted they may lye there idle Now when a man is not willing to practice the meanes by which these Truths are used he doth properly with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse As for example the way to act the Truths we have to stirre them up to blow up these coales to bring them to present memory so as they may be brought to present practise is the Communion of Saints the company of holy men that when a man hath forgot godly company may bring to minde againe so frequent reading and hearing these doe act the Truth for the end of our ministery is not onely to make you to know these things but to bring those things to minde which you have forgot if we will not use but neglect the meanes of acting the Truth then we with-hold it So for private prayer whereas a man should bring his heart to God every day should doe it throughly should call himselfe to a reckoning for every sin for all sorts of Omissions or of Commissions this is a meanes to act this Truth this good purpose and inclination this sparke which God hath kindled were it not for this they would be raked up in the ashes againe now performing prayer in a devout and fervent manner doth liven them whereas to doe things for fashion or to satisfie naturall conscience and not throughly is to neglect them so that when a man doth not practice not exercise the Truths hee hath as the very exercise quickens them againe when he doth neglect any of the means by which these coales are blowne up by which these Truths are to be stirred up he properly imprisons the Truth Let no man say But when a man imprisons a thing he barres the doore but to let the Truth lye is a matter of negligence how is it then an imprisoning Yes it is an imprisoning a surprising of it as it is with fire if it have not a vent though you cast no water upon it yet you put it out as on the contrary side if you give it vent you encrease it so you are guilty in this Case of murdering the Truth of putting it out As in any Art that a man learnes if he let his Art or Trade lye still and unused he forgets it so these Truths are extinguished when a man is not diligent in using all meanes of grace The receiving of the Sacrament is a meanes to quicken and Act these Truths fasting and prayer when God cals for it is a meanes to quicken them goe through all meanes which God hath ordained to put us in minde of these Truths and so farre as you neglect the meanes so farre you detaine these Truths in unrighteousnesse The end of the Seventh Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Eighth SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse THe fourth Case wherein we withhold this truth in unrighteousnesse and imprison it is when we directly suppresse it when we doe indeed suffocate it when we doe this of purpose this is an evident Case when a man not only withdrawes fewell when he doth not only not act it neglecting the meanes but doth purposely suppresse it As for example when God shall kindle a good sparke in any mans heart and put in a good motion not only reveales but stirres up some Truths which concerne his salvation and hee doth endeavour to put it out to quench it and labours to lay that truth asleepe and is glad when by any meanes he can forget it lest it should trouble him this is a great suppessing of the Truth and by this we not only suppresse this Truth but we doe harden our owne hearts exceedingly as in iron when we quench it we doe not only put out the fire but harden the Iron so when God stirs up many Truths as it is in hearing the Word in apprehension of death in suffering some calamity in a good mood the putting out of these doth harden the heart Therefore when a man shall have good purposes and thinke with himselfe I will now begin to be another man and to change my courses and yet shall goe into ill company such as it may be he hath kept before this is an evident suffocating of the Truth a thing often spoken of and blame me not that I speake of it againe for it is the great quench-coale of Religion a man cannot prosper therein if he looke not to his company because it is as a continuall dropping on a fire-brand which will be sure to put out the light and life and grace which one hath Chrysostome compares ill company to putting in of swine when a man hath planted an Orchard with tender Plants when he hath sowed it and the corne or whatsoever it is appeares leave the hedge open and let the swine come in and they will overturne all by the roots So when we Ministers have sowed the Seed and it begins to grow a little to put forth when ill company come in they spoile all they marre all they pull up all by the roots so that we have lost our labour it is indeed so effectuall to keepe downe the Seed and to make us imprison the Truth Againe custome in sin giving your selves liberty in any sin that keepes downe the Truth and nothing more Therefore of all other things you must know nothing suppresses that Truth that knowledge those beginnings of Grace those good motions in us so much as actuall sin because it is quite contrary to it Fire is not quenched so much with any thing as with water being quite contrary thereto and light is not hid so much in any thing as in darknesse Take heed then that you be not led away with the deceitfulnesse of sin you may thinke you shall be able to leave this sin afterwards but it is not in your power to do so for sin takes away the sense and a great sinne weakens the faculty that should resist it puts out the Truth because it is so directly contrary unto it And herein you must observe a notable difference betweene men that live godly and others the godly when they fall into sin it is so farre from putting out this Truth that it helps it forward for their fals doe but discover such sins and so it causes them to search themselves by which meanes they finde out that to be in them which they never