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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
rest_n	day_n	holy_a	week_n	3,801	5	10.1130	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17410	The rules of a holy life. Or A treatise containing the holy order of our liues, prescribed in the Scripture concerning our carriage: towards God, towards men, towards our selues. With generall rules of preparation, that concerne either the helps, or the maner of a holy conuersation. By N. Bifield preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.	1619 (1619)	STC 4233.5; ESTC S122202	69,705	372

all things giue thankes 1. Thess. 5. 18. He must study to be quiet and follow peace with all men meddling with his own businesse and auoiding all occasion of contention that might distract him in his owne course A busy-body is as good as no body in respect of sound progresse in sanctification It is an excellent skill to bee able to auoide the intanglements of discord especially hee must prouide to haue perfect peace with the godly Though GOD bee able to sanctifie the oppositions of vnreasonable men yet wee must take heed of drawing needlesse troubles vpon our selues for that makes vs neither to be nor to be accounted the more holy but contrariwise The Apostle could not speake vnto the Corinthians as vnto spirituall men but as vnto carnall at the best but Babes in Christ and the reason was because there was strife and enuy and diuision amongst them Romanes 9. 19. Hebrewes 12. 14. Marke 9. vlt. I. Cor. 3. 3. His eyes must looke straight and his eye-liddes right before him Prou. 4. 25. Hee must take heed of going about and fetching of compase in Religion Ier. 31. 32. Hee must bee still aiming at the marke of the high prize of his calling being sure that the things hee employeth himselfe in tend directly to the furtherance of his saluation and not lose his time in vnprofitable studies or practices proceeding from one degree to another till hee come to a ripe age in Christ. 13. He must bee conuersanrt in the Scriptures bee familiarly acquainted with them that they may dwell plenteously in him For those good words of God haue not onely light in them to direct vs but power also to assist vs to do what they require and by the daily reading and hearing of them wee shall bee excited to more care of well-doing we must exercise our selues in the Word day and night and neuer let them depart out of our hearts but keep our hearts still warme with the heate that comes from them neuer suffering the warmth to go out through our long forbearance of the vse of them Col. 3. 16. Psal. 1. 2. Iosh. 8. Isaiah 8. 16 20. 14. Hee must carefully perseuer in his first loue Reu 2. 4. The Lord is wont at some times or other about the first conuersion of a sinner to shew himselfe with such power in his ordinances and to reueale vnto him such glories in the merits gifts of Iesus Christ and the happinesse of his estate in him that his hart is thereby fired to a cheerfull liking of the meanes of saluation and of godly persons and to a wonderfull desire after God and care to please God Now hee that would prosper in a Christian course must bee wonderfully careful to preserue affection this spirituall loue in his hart and watch against and resist the first beginnings of decay or coldnesse or declining in his heart and take heed of suffering his heart to be drawne away by the deceitfulnesse of sin or the inticements of the world 15. Hee must couet earnestly the best gifts 1. Cor. 12 vlt. There are some duties in Piety or Mercy or righteousnesse which in respect of our places do most concerne vs and would in a more speciall manner adorne our particular profession so are there some gifts which doe aduance our communiō with God and do make vs more profitable amongst men Now these things we should study and earnestly labour to frame our selues to and to expresse them more effectually in our conuersation This no doubt is the reason why the holy Ghost doth in Scripture make Catalogues of certain speciall duties or graces singled out from the rest and fitted to the conditions of the people who are written to and this would be a singular aduantage to vs if wee also would single out to our vse some few of the chiefest vertues or duties which wee would daily set before vs and striue by prayer and all holy indeuor to fashion them to life in our hearts of liues 16. He must renew often his mortification mans heart is like fallow ground which is not to receiue seed till it be broken vp and at best it is like a garden which will often need weeding If we doe not at some times in speciall manner humble our soules before God worldly cares or carnall delights will ouer-grow our desires and our practice choake the seed of the Word receiued by vs we must keep vnder our bodies bring them in subiection and be often dragging our lusts to the crosse of Christ there to crucifie them Our practice is like to sowing which presupposeth plowing before Ier. 4. 34. Hosh. 10. 12. 1. Cor. 9. 27. 17. Hee must watch for the opportunities of well-doing and take heed of procrastination he must seeke righteousness and haste to it hee must not put it off till to morrow Esay 16. 5. Pro. 3. 28. 23. 26. Amos 5. 14. 18. He must remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it The commaundement concerning the keeping of the Sabbath to sanctifie it is placed in the midst betweene the two Tables of purpose to shew that the keeping of the Sabbath is a singular helpe to all piety righteousnesse and God hath promised a speciall blessing to the obseruers of the Sabbath and giues strength by the rest of that day the better to perform holy duties all the week after Commandement 4. Esay 58. 13. 19. Hee must meditate much on the example of the godly of all ages and striue diligently to learne their waies and to quicken himselfe by the thought of their care zeale and sincerity And thus he may also profitably set before him the examples of some of his owne acquaintance as excell in the gifts of Christ and fruits of well-doing The example of good men should bee as forcible to draw vs to good as the example of euill men is to incline others to euill we haue bin compassed about with a cloud of witnesses who haue liued in all ages of the Church we must therefore stand in the wayes and see and aske for the olde way to walke in it and with all gladnesse follow any that are fit to bee guides to vs therein Hebr. 12. 1. Ierem. 12. 16. 6. 16. 20. Hee must goe daily to him that teacheth to profit begging of God to shew him away and to lead him by his Spirit vnto the right practice of euery holy duty euen to guide him in the plaine path Esay 48. 17. Psal. 27. 11. Thus I haue set downe those rules which are generall helpes vnto godlinesse and must bee attended by a godly Christian. CHAP. III. Shewing the things that are to be auoyded by such as would order their conuersation aright NOw before I proceed vnto the rules that concerne the manner of well-doing I will adde vnto the former directions nine Cautions or nine things which a Christian must take heede of in his practice of holy duties

it willingly Further if wee respect our selues shall we not bee as carefull to prouide for our soules on the Sabbath as for our bodies on the weeke daies 2. By obseruing the whole day as well as a part and keeping the Sabbath in our dwellings as well as in Gods house God requires the whole day and not a part As wee would not be contented our seruants should worke for vs onely an houre or two in the six daies so neither should wee yeeld lesse vnto God then wee require for our selues Nor will it suffice to serue God by publike duties in his House vnlesse wee serue him also by priuate duties in our own dwellings Commandement 4. Leuit. 23. 3. 3. By auoiding the lesser violations of the Sabbath as well as the greater especially not transgressing of contempt or wilfulnesse in the least things we know to bee forbidden The Prophet instanceth Isaiah 58. 13. Wee must not speake our owne words Thus of sinceritie 5. The fift thing required of vs is Faith we must glorifie GOD by beleeuing that hee will make it a day of blessing vnto vs and performe that blessing hee hath promised accepting our desire to walke before him in the vprightnesse of our hearts and passing by our infirmities and fraileties We many times disturbe the rest and Sabbath of our soules by vnbeliefe Commandement 4. Genes 2. 2. Exod. 31. 13. Ezech. 20. 20. 46. 2 5. 6. The last thing is Deprecation wee must beseech God when we haue done our best to shew vs mercie and spare vs for our defects and weakenesses Thus wee must end the day and reconcile our selues to GOD that the Rest of Iesus Christ may be established in our hearts Nehem. 13. 22. And thus of the rules that binde vs to the good behauiour in respect of the time of Gods worship CHAP. XIX Rules that shew vs how to carry our selues when wee come into company in respect of Religion HItherto of the rules that concerne our carriage toward God Now it followes that I breake open those directions that should bring our liues into order in respect of men And these rules are of two sorts for either they are such as binde vs to the good behauiour towards all men or such as order our conuersation toward some men onely as they are considered to bee either wicked or godly The rules that concerne all men may bee cast into two heads as they belong either to righteousnesse or to mercy The rules that belong to righteousnesse order vs either in company or out of company The rules which we are to obserue in company concerne either 1. Religion or 2. The sinnes and faults of others or 3. Our owne inoffensiue behauiour towards all men 1. For the first when we come in company wee must be carefull to be that which may become the glory of Gods truth and the Religion we professe that wee take not vp the name of God in vaine And thus we shall rightly order our selues if wee obserue these Rules First to be soundly aduised before wee fall into discourse of Religion not doing it till God may bee glorified by it A wise man concealeth knowledge but the heart of fooles will publish foolishnesse It is as great a discretion to know how to conceale knowledge as it is to know how to vse knowledge Secondly auoide vaine ianglings and contradiction of words such as are 1. Doubtfull disputations about Ceremonies and things indifferent which may entangle the weake and keep them from more necessarie cares and knowledge Rom. 14. 1. 2. Curious Questions about things that are not reuealed in the VVord Rom. 12. 3. Bee wise to sobriety 3. Vnprofitable reasonings such as were those about Genealogies in the Apostles time 1. Tim. 1. Thirdly If thou be asked a reason of the hope that is in thee by such as haue authority to require it or need to seeke it then answer But be sure to remember two things namely that thou answer with all reuerence as may shew how much thou art affected with the Maiestie of Gods truth and withall with meeknesse that is without passion or frowardnesse and without affectation or conceitednesse or wilfulnes in thine owne opinions 1. Pet. 3. 15. Fourthly let thy communication be yea yea and nay nay otherwise customary and vaine swearing is a most damned sinne and such as God will surely plague CHAP. XX. Rules that shew vs how to carry our selues in company in respect of the faults of others THus of our carriage in company in respect of Religion Now concerning the faultes of others wee must obserue these Rules First wee must neuer in our discourse iustifie the wicked or condemn the righteous all excesse in words is euill but this is an abomination to the Lord We must euer honour those that feare the Lord and as for vile persons they are to bee contemned Psal. 15. 4. Amos 5. 15. Prou 17. 15. Secondly let thy conuersation and discourse be without iudging Math. 7. 1. lam 3. 17. It is time exceeding ill-spent that is spent in censuring of others And the rather should we take heed of iudging if we consider how the holy Ghost hath matched that sin in that place of Iames wee must bee without iudging without hypocrisie as if he wold signifie that great Censurers are commonly great Hypocrites and as any are more wise they are more sparing of their Censures Thirdly thou must not walke about with tales take heed of Tale-bearing He goeth about as a slanderer that reuealeth a secret though it be true hee speaketh It is a maruellous euill custome that many haue to fill vp their discourse with the report of the frailties of others which they by some meanes or other come vnder-hand to know This is an euill frequently condemned in Scripture and yet most vsually practised as if it were lawfull to speake of any thing which they know to be true Thou shalt not walke about with Tales nor stand against the bloud of thy neighbour A strange connexion by which the Lord imports that this Tale-bearing is a kind of murther and it is true in the case of many a man thou wert as good lay violent hands vpon him as with that licentiousnesse of words to diuulge tales concerning him Prou. 20. 19. 11. 13. Leuit. 19. 16. And for the better strengthening of this rule thou art yet charged to looke to thy eares too as well as thy tongue Thou must not receiue euill reports against thy neighbour but make it appeare thou art not pleased with such Tales Psal. 15. 3. Yea thou art forbidden the society of such persons as carry Tales Thou must not meddle with Tale-bearers nor with such as flatter with their lippes Certainely such creatures commonly flatter the present and reproach the absent Prou. 20. 19. Fourthly if thou do know an offence in any with whom thou conuersest thou shalt not hate him in thy heart but rather reproue him plainely For he