Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	world_n	worship_v	young_a	20	3	5.3750	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64834	Sin, the plague of plagues, or, Sinful sin the worst of evils a treatise of sins tryal and arraignment, wherein sin is accused for being, proved to be, and condemned for being exceeding sinful : and that 1. as against God, his nature, attributes, works, will, law, image, people, glory and existence, 2. as against man, his good and welfare of body and soul, in this life, and that to come : with the use and improvement to be made of this doctrine, that men may not be damned, but saved, &c. : being the substance of many sermons preached many years ago in Southwark / by Ralph Venning ...	Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1669 (1669)	Wing V226; ESTC R38391	212,020	400

many others that might be named that mans happiness cannot be made up of any or all creature enjoyments of having though all the world for a portion For beside what 's newly said 1 It was not so when man was in Paradise when not only man but all the creatures were in a better condition then and not subject to vanity as now they are All that God made was very good and Adam had all that God made and yet that was not his happiness Now if the creatures in their best estate were not mans happiness much less are they so in this their worse estate so that our sin in placing happiness in creature enjoyment now is worse then Adams sin was for the creatures were then far more allicient attractive and taking then now they are for as a worthy person expresseth it though the old walls and ruinous Palace of the world stands to this day yet the beauty gloss and glory of the hangings is soiled and marred with many imperfections cast on every creature what 's without us only cannot be our happiness 2 That cannot be our happiness which is below us the design of Gods making the creatures was that they should serve us and not be served by us● God put Adam colere to till the earth not colere to worship the earth and make a God of it as earthly-minded men do for covetousness is ●dolatry Not only God placed them but man reckons them below himself below man for skin for skin or skin after skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life a great truth though spoken by the Father of lies by which its evident that man reckons all below himself and though old Jacobs life were bound up in the life of young Benjamin yet he would part with him rather then starve Now without further inlargement 't is clear as the Sun that what 's inferiour to us cannot be our happiness 3 That cannot be our happiness which is not so much as a token of the love of God If you had all the Cattel on a thousand hills and never so many thousand bags of gold in your Chest though all the beauty and honor in the world centr'd in you yet I must tell you what a very wise man hath told me Eccl. 9.1 Man knows not love by prosperity no more then hatred by adversity Indeed the world is not as great and good as 't is or 't was 't is not good enough for a Love-token God sent his Son and never any thing but him and what 's in him for a Love-token Well then upon the whole we conclude that seeing happiness is of an higher nature then the Creation and is not in less then God himself that man is a fool in seeking it elsewhere and that sin is very pernicious to man in making him such a fool But 2 Mans folly appears to be great 2 As to means which relates to his end or happiness not only in relation to his end and happiness in his mistaking that but in relation to the means and way leading to happiness in mistaking this also The enjoyment of God is our happiness Religion viz. right worshipping and serving God is the means of enjoying God i. e. of our happinesse Alas here man is a very fool Though in the general men acknowledge that there is a God and that God is to be worshipped and obey'd yet who this God is and how to be worshipped man is full of darknesse doubt and perplexity about it whence it is that we have such expressions in the Scripture concerning sinners ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4.22 Surely they that worship they know not what do worship also they know not how as it there follows The Athenian Altar had this Inscription To the unknown God Acts 17.23 and the world by wisdome knew not God viz. manifest in the flesh 1 Cor. 1.21 Though there be nothing more knowable yet nothing more unknown then God 'T is visible to all the Creation by the Creation that there is a God as Rom. 1.22 but who and what he is and what his will is who hath known the mind of God 1 Cor. 2.16 Sin hath made men worship either 1 A false God and that 's Idolatry Or 2 God falsly and that 's Superstition Man is become such a fool In being 1 Idolatious that his worship till enlightned and converted is either a breach of the first or second Commandment and he fails as to the object or manner of worship and both speak mans folly that his Religion is either Idolatry or Superstition 1 Idolatry is mans folly to worship no God or that which is not a God but an Idol is folly and therefore the Gentiles are called not only Atheists but a foolish people and with this the Apostle upbraids them Gal. 4.8 Rom. 1.21.125 Man is such a fool that he neglects to serve the God that made him and serves Gods of his own making though that make proves that they are not as their name is but Gods like their knowledge falsly so called as 't is at large imputed to them of old Is 44 14.-16 The world hath been guilty of most abominable idolatry the Romans made diseases Gods as the Feaver c. and sinners make not only creatures as gold and their belly their God but among the fore-mentioned Romans theft and murder sins were reputed and called Gods yea the Devil himself hath been made a God and sacrificed to he is called the God of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 and saith the Apostle they sacrifice to devils 1 Cor. 10.20 Deut. 32.17 and sacrificed not only their children Psa 106.37 but their souls for in all services the soul is the sacrifice Oh sinful sin But yet again 2 Superstition is mans folly as to Religion 2 Superstitious and this is younger brother to Idolatry 't is of the same venter womb with Idolatry Superstition is not worshipping a false God but the true God falsly in a way that God commandeth not but it teacheth and practiseth for doctrines the devices and commandments of men or worships not according to the will of God but the will of man This also is called the sacrifice of fools Eccl. 5.1 They mind the matter more then the manner and take up with the work done though it be not well done and mind the outside more then the in-side yea and worship God more because they fear then because they love him And this shall briefly suffice for the evincing of mans folly or how sin hath befool'd man as to his end happiness and the means to it Religion I proceed 3 To shew mans folly 3 As to non or ill-improvement of means as to non or ill improvement of means when made known in truth and clearness though the Will of God as to worship be revealed yet sin makes men fools still either in this that they use not or in this that they make an ill use of

imprisoned Beside what Ausonius tells us ●●us plus alio invenire potest nemo-omnia is a very great truth one may find out more then another but none will or can find and speak out all so exceeding broad are the commands and truths contain'd in the sacred Scriptures beyond any others Though therefore I think it no disparagement to me to acknowledge that I have perused others and profited by them yet I may without vanity or ostentation say that I have not only handled this Subject in another manner but that I have also spoken to other things then any hath done that I have yet met withall and do not doubt but much more may be said then hath been by me any or all that have written on this Theme As to the sinfulness of sin the Subject of the Treatise I have indeed handled it most largely as 't is against Mans good and happiness it being most properly the intent and scope of the Text and God is so condescending that he is pleased to treat man as a self-lover and so to gain him and win him by his own advantages yea he seems by his patience to have a concern for mans Salvation beyond his own vindication in this world as the Apostle gives us to believe 2 Pet. 3.9 And truly this vouchsafement self-denial and humbling of himself is so great and rich a goodness that it most forceably leads and draws us to repentance Rom. 2.4 As to the stile I have not minded any curiosity for I am still of my former opinion that that eloquence doth injury to things which draws us to observe it seeing words are only for the matters sake and should not hinder but help its promotion fine expressions according to what 's said by a Learned and Eloquent person fine expressions are but like the gawdy and guilded frame of a Looking-glass which acquaints us not with our faces and features The genuine use of a Looking-glass yea many times the richness of the frame doth so much amuse and dazle the eyes of some childish persons that they are regardless of any thing else The Rhetorick diverts men from attending the more concerning the instructive part of a discourse yea many that pretend to be Criticks make little other use of Sermons and good Books then to censure or to applaud the contrivance and the phrase without minding the Doctrine or caring to rectifie what hath been discover'd to them to be amiss 'T is no commend to a Preacher to be more sollicitous to make his expressions then to make his Hearers good There must be no flattering of sinners we must rather endeavour they may condemn themselves then applaud us and 't will be more joy to a good Divine to hear the peoples sighs for their sins then to hear their praises of his Sermon and that they follow his counsel then that they admire his language We must not speak against sin to shew an art of declaiming a skill of speaking Oratoriously but to exercise our own and to provoke others to exert their hatred against it and 't is to be fear'd that when the best of men have done their best and utmost there will yet be too many that read pious books with less reverence and concern then a Romance or a Play being more for the Rhetorick then Divinity for the wit then worth which is to say the shadow then substance of discourses and as the forementioned excellent person significantly expresseth it If a devout book have not good store of witty passages some Readers will not mind it at all and if it have they will mind nothing else And this experience confirms But whatever Readers this Book meet with I have endeavour'd that it may profit and so far please them that I hope they will find nothing worthy of their displeasure but the thing I write against I have committed it to God and beg'd his blessing that it may be of use to teach men to profit hereafter by their hitherto loss and get something by reading which they can never do by committing of sin But not to detain thee much longer I entreat thee to remember that this world is but a glittering and pompous vanity a thing that 〈…〉 using and will not reach beyond the grave and perhaps will not last so long for the lust and fashion of it pass yea take them wings and fly away Remember that sin leads no where but to hell the place and Element of torment Remember that ere long Death will arrest thee and carry thy body to the dust and Dungeon of the grave and if thou die in thy sins thy Soul to Hell and Damnation I entreat thee therefore to exercise thy self unto and in the power of godliness and do not live as if the practise of Piety were nothing but a Book of that Name Alas what is' t to have Religion in thy Bible in thy head and tongue and yet have none in thine heart and life Do but think what thou wilt say or do when thou comest to judgment as Solomon tells the young man Eccl. 11.9 Take the course which thou canst own and justifie in that day and do what thou wilt and then I am sure thou wilt not dare to do any thing but what thou oughtest for who can answer for one of a thousand or for but one sin As for any of them yet alive that were Hearers and shall now be Readers of what 's contain'd in the following Treatise I crave leave to tell them that they have it double as Precept upon Precept and line upon line and God seems to send it to them the second time that it may do more good upon them then it did at first that the repetition and calling of it to remembrance may do more then the preaching of it did though I know blessed be God that it was not then deliver'd and heard without good effects on many and I hope on more then I know of That God may be glorified and the Readers may profit by it is much the prayer as 't will be much the joy and rejoycing of my Soul whatever censures may be past upon me Ralph Venning There are several mis-pointings which the sense will help the Reader to Correct beside the following Errata which are to be amended thus PAge 16. line 12. for destruction read distraction p. 55. l. 20. for joyn'd r. injoyn'd l. 23. for sociability r. insociability p. 74. l. 24. for joyn with r. joyn them with p. 97. l. 2. for believe they r. believe then p. 126. l. 33. for no more r. the more p. 128. l. 2. for tell of God r. tell God p. 141. l. 24. for have r. leave p. 145. l. 2. for when before r. before and when p. 145. l. 33. for they call r. they not call p. 148. l. 27. for iuch r. such p. 152. l. 4. for divisions r. diversions p. 156. l. 26. for hundred r. hardned p. 157. l. 15. for exercise r. excess p. 255. l. 4.

peace though we walk in the imaginations of our heart to add drunkenness to thirst the Lord will not spare them but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against them and when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction will come upon them as travel upon a woman with child and there will be no escaping 1 Thes 5.3 There are some other inferences yet to be spoken to and of them I shall say but a few things in brief Time spent in sin is worse then lost Sin being so sinful 2. I infer that time spent in sin is worse then lost Most of the pastime in the world is lost time but sinning time or time spent in sin is worse then lost it must be accounted for and who can give a good account of evil doing while men live in sin they do nothing but undo themselves Man was not sent into this world only to eat drink sleep and play much less to sin yea that he might not sin but as into a great Work-house to work for the glory of God Joh. 17.4 and so to work out his own Salvation and that with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 but they that live in sin work out their damnation and many times without fear or trembling of which they will have great store when they come to receive their just doom and damnation Time is a most precious Commodity for on this moment depends Eternity and as men sow in this seed-time they will reap in that harvest Time is a Prophet for Eternity as men live here they are like to live for ever they that sow sin must reap death Galat. 6.8 Time is to be redeemed Eph. 5.16 and every day to be numbred greatly valued and improved that we may apply our hearts to wisdom Psal 90.12 and this is wisdom the fear of the Lord and this understanding to depart from evil Job 28.28 This is wisdom to know and do what is the acceptable will of God Mat. 7.24 Eph. 5 15-17 We may be said to be but not to live if we live not to God and all time that is not so spent is but mis-spent and worse then lost poor distracted persons that have lost their understanding They that mock at sin are worse then fools wear out their days to less loss and disadvantage then sinners do 3. Then they that make a mock at sin are worse then fools and mad-men fools make a mock at sin Prov. 14.9 tell them as Lot did his sons in Law the danger they are in the judgments that hang over their head and our is to them as Lot was to them as one that mocketh Gen. 19.14 they laugh at it as if God were not in earnest when he threatens sinners and as if they that preach against sin were but ridiculous persons It s a sport to fools to do mischief Prov. 10.23 and there are that sport themselves in their way to Hell as if 't were but a recreation Oh what fools are they that laugh at their own folly and destruction too 'T is a devilish nature in us to mock at the calamity of others but to laugh at our own seems to be worse then devilish There are many too many that mourn under affliction yet laugh over their sins that sigh weep when they feel any burden on their bodies but make merry at that which destroys their soul Can any thing be more mad then these that laugh mock and make sport at that which is a burden and weariness to God Isa 1.14 Amos 2.13 which is the wounding piercing and crucifying of Christ Jesus Zach. 12.10 Heb. 6.6 which is a grief to the Spirit of Consolation Eph. 4.30 which is a trouble to holy Angels Luke 15. which is a wrong to and the undoing of their own souls Prov. 8.36 and such is sin 4. It cannot be well with men in their sin Sin being so sinful infectious and pernicious it can never be well with a man how well soever he be while he is in his sins Was it well with Dives though he fared deliciously every day no it was better with Lazarus that lay at his gate full of sores for that 's wel● that ends well which it never doth with sinners if judgment be not executed speedily 't will surely for they are condemned already being sons of death and perdition No man hath cause to envy the prosperity of sinners 't is not good enough to be envied but 't is bad enough to be pitied they are but fatted and thereby fitted to destruction Prov. 1.32 the prosperity of fools shall destroy them their folly alone doth it but their prosperity doth double it and do it with a vengeance the prosperous sinner is in the worst case of all sinners they are set in slippery places and shall be cast down from their height to the depth of destruction Psal 73.18 5. Sin being so sinful It concerns us to be religious betimes it greatly concernes persons and hugely obligeth them to be religious betimes that they may prevent a great deal of sin which without being early religious and strictly so they cannot possibly do how precious and dear should that be to us which prevents the being of what is so pernicious and destructive how industriously careful should we be to keep our selves from that which will keep us from happiness and how ambitious to enjoy that which capacitates us for the enjoying of God for ever and gives us the first-fruits of it here We cannot be too soon nor too much religious but the sooner and more the better If ever you mean to be religious there is no time more proper then now the present now no day to to day Eccl. 12.1 remember now thy Creators as the word is viz. God in Christ for he ●reated all things by Christ Jesus Eph. 3.9 Col. 1.16 Remember now in the days of thy youth before the evil days come when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them not only no pleasure in the evil days of sickness death and judgment that evil day which I put far from me but I have none in the remembrance of my youthful days Youth is the most proper season of all our days and now is the most proper season of all our youth to remember God in If you say we will do that when we are old 't is now spring-time with us and no month to May we will think of Religion in a Winters night Oh do not boast of to morrow as young as thou art thou art old enough to dye this night thy soul may be taken from thee and be in Hell to morrow Take the Wise-mans counsel Eccl. 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes yes Sir with all our heart we will take this counsel we like it well this is pleasing Doctrine

one scarce sees how men may seek for light at noon-day Men have learnt to draw up or let down so much by the Ell or by the Yard that people can scarce see what they look upon with their eyes That which seemed very fine and fair by a false light is found far otherwise by a true one Now by the same reason that weights are lights are an abomination to the Lord viz. because they are false and deceitful If you tell me 't is the custom of the City and all the world I ask you whether that will answer God and make it no sin 5. Take heed of breaking Bargains and Covenants when you perceive you can buy cheaper of or sell dearer to another I am almost afraid that this practical kind of Religion is with many like an old Almanack out of date as if Religion were confined to the first Table some Duties to God and the second Table Duties to Man were of little concern or consequence when as most frequently in holy Writ the characters of godly men are drawn from their obedience to the second Table-commands and among the rest this that I am upon is one Psal 15.4 he that sweareth and changeth not though it be to his loss and detriment and it ought to hold good in promises as well as oaths in bargaining as well as swearing for a man ought to be just though he have not sworn to be so but wo to them that promise and swear too yet are not just but false and perjured both 6. Take heed of carnal and sinful compliance with your Customers and Chapmen in their swearing drinking to excess c. have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness though you profit by them that work them but reprove them rather Eph. 5.11 and so you shall not suffer sin upon your brother nor upon your selves Levit. 19.17 otherwise 't is to hate him in your heart which is a great sin for he that hates his brother is a murtherer 1 Joh. 3.15 Perhaps you will say this is the ready way to lose our Customers and then we may shut up shop and run away if that fall out 't is better to part with any then God and to lose any thing rather then his favour and loving-kindness which is better then life and therefore much better then livelihood 〈◊〉 but it may not so fall out 't is better to tru●● God then to be beholding to the Devil and sin d● as you ought to do and if bad men do not good men may become your Customers and when your ways please the Lord he can and will make your enemies to be friends at peace with you Prov. 16.7 Whatever you do keep a good conscience towards God and men and though the children of this world should call you fools yet they will call themselves fools another day for calling you so now 't is undoubtedly better and more profitable to please God then men and what will it profit thee to gain the world and lose thy soul we are too prone to comply with and to be drawn away by them we get by and have therefore a kindness for them but consider what God saith Exod. 34 12-15 Take heed lest thou make a Covenant with the Inhabitants of the Land lest it prove a snare to thee that when they do sacrifice to their Gods and one call thee and thou eat of their Sacrifice intimacy and familiarity and trading together may be a snare Gen. 34.21 And when a good Customer calls thee covetousness is like to make thee to do like him rather then men will lose their gain they will cry up Diana though they cry down Godliness and God himself Acts 19 23-28 7. Take heed of abusing and grinding the face of the poor Isa 3.15 either 1. By taking advantage of their necessity you know they must have it because they need it and their necessity is urgent Oh do not be cruel to them you know they must sell at the weeks end to buy bread or at Quarters end to pay Rent Oh do not oppress them and add affliction to their affliction by making them under-sell the sweat of their brow and labour of their hands wo to thee if the spoil of the poor be in thy house Isa 3.15 Nor do thou take any advantage of their ignorance to over-reach and defraud them ignorance should be pitied and the unskilful should be well used it may be he refers himself to thee Oh do not put a bad for a good commodity into his hands Or 2. Grind them not by detaining the wages of the poor work-men Oh do not think of growing rich by the poor mans money do not put him off till to morrow when thou hast it by thee if thou shouldst not doit in point of charity much less in a case of justice This is a crying sin as you may read James 5.4 Poor souls they have wrought hard and when they have done they go home and cry for want of money to buy bread and truly this cry of theirs enters into the ears of the Lord of Hosts for so Sabaoth signifies and though thou be too mighty for the poor yet thou art no match for the Lord of Hosts who takes their part and will not always bear with thy covetousness and oppression Oh pay off the poor as soon as they have done their work 3. Grind them not by forcing upon them braided and trashy ware because they are in your debt You complain many times that your Chapmen break and 't is to be feared they may complain that you break them either by forcing too much or very bad commodities into their hand which they cannot vend or put off but to their great loss They are in your books and for fear of your displeasure lest you should arrest them they are willing to take it of you but Oh for the poors-sake for Gods-sake and for your own and your famililies-sake do not grow rich by the poor mans poverty If you know any more beside these for I have but little knowledge of your Mysteries I intreat you to take heed of them If you shall say in your heart that he is a silly fellow that cannot distinguish away the danger and dread of all this I list not to answer your objections But this I say That you can never evade your consciences where this is indelibly written that you ought to do as you would be done by in justice and if you would not another should wrong you do not you wrong them if your conscience should be bribed yet God will not and what will you do when he riseth up to Judgment how will you answer God to whom you must give an account be not deceived God will not be mocked 't is as cheap as easie to laugh at and put off such a poor thing as man is but believe it Conscience and God will not be so put off Thus I have in this also endeavoured to discharge my own soul