Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	article_n	believe_v	creed_n	2,820	5	10.5298	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25478	A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers; Morning-exercise at Cripplegate. Supplement.	Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.	1676 (1676)	Wing A3240; ESTC R13100	974,140	814

Word Read with a solemn composed spirit Seriousness is the Christian's ballast which keeps him from being overturn'd with vanity Labour to remember what you read Satan would (y) Mat. 13.4 steal the Word out Direct 7 of our mind not that he intends to make use of it himself but lest we should make use of it The memory should be like the Chest in the Ark where the Law was put Psalm 119.52 I have remembred thy judgments of old (z) Memoria est intui scriba Hierom writes of that Religious Lady Paula she had got most of the Scriptures by heart we are bid to have the word dwell in us (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. h●ud memorià excidat Col. 3.16 The Word is a Jewel adorns the hidden man and shall we not remember it Can a Maid forget her Ornaments Jer. 2.32 such as have a disease they call Lienteria the Meat comes up as fast as they eat it and stays not in the Stomack are not nourished by it If the Word stays not in the memory it cannot profit some can better remember a piece of News than a line of Scripture their memories are like those ponds where the Frogs live but the Fish dye Meditate upon what you read Psal 119.15 I will meditate in thy Precepts Direct 8 The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost word to Meditate signifies to be intense in the mind in Meditation there must be a fixing of the thoughts upon the object Luke 2.19 The Virgin Mary pondered those things c. Meditation is the Concoction of Scripture Reading brings a Truth into our head Meditation brings it into our heart Reading and Meditation must like Castor and Pollux appear together Meditation without reading is erroneous reading without Meditation is barren the Bee sucks the flower then works it in the Hive and so turns it to Hony by Reading we suck the flower of the Word by Meditation we work it in the Hive of our mind and so it turns to profit Meditation is the bellows of the affections Psal 39.3 While I was musing the fire burned The Reason we come away so cold from Reading the Word is because we do not warm our selves at the fire of Meditation Come to the reading of Scripture with humble hearts acknowledge how Direct 9 unworthy you are that God should reveal himself in his Word to you God's secrets are with the humble Pride is an Enemy to profiting It is observed the ground on which the Peacock sits is barren that heart where Pride sits is barren an arrogant Person disdains the Counsels of the Word and hates the reproofs is he like to profit Jam. 4.6 God giveth grace to the humble The eminentest Saints have been but of low stature in their own eyes like the Sun in the Zenith they shewed least when they were at the highest David had more understanding then all bis Teachers Psal 119.99 but how humble was he Psal 22.6 I am a worm and no (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazianz man David in the Arabick Tongue signifies a worm Give Credence to the Word written believe it to be of God see Direct 10 the Name of God in every line The Romans that they might gain Credit to their Laws reported that they were inspired by the Gods at Rome Believe the Scripture to be Coelo missa divinely inspired 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Divine inspiration Who but God could reveal the great Doctrines of the Trinity the Hypostatical Union the Resurrection Whence should the Scripture come if not from God 1. Sinners could not be the Authors of Scripture would they indite such holy lines or inveigh so fiercely against those sins which they love 2. Saints could not be the Authors of Scripture how could it stand with their Sanctity to counterfeit God's Name and put Thus saith the Lord to a Book of their own devising 3. Angels could not be the Authors of Scripture What Angel in Heaven durst personate God and say I am the Lord Believe the Pedigree of Scripture to be Sacred and to come from the (d) Jam. 1.17 father of lights The Scriptures Antiquity speaks its Divinity No humane Histories extant reach further than Noah's Flood but the Scripture writes of things (e) Id verum quod primum Tertul. before time Besides the Majesty Profundity Purity Harmony of Scripture show it could be breathed from none but God himself Add to this the (f) Cum animum tangit est sicut fulmen Luth. Efficacy the Word written hath had upon mens Consciences by reading Scripture they have been turned into other men as might be instanced in St. Austin Junius and others If you should set a Seal upon a piece of Marble and it should leave a Print behind you would say there were a strange vertue in that Seal so that the Word written should leave a Heavenly Print of Grace upon the heart it argues it to be of Direct 11 Divine Authority If you would profit by the Word believe it to be of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some Scepticks question the Verity of Scripture though they have the Articles of Religion in their Creed yet not in their belief Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our Report Unbelief enervates the Vertue of the Word and makes it abortive who will (g) Vbi male creditur ibi nec bene vivitur Hierom. obey those truths he doth not believe Heb. 4.1 The Word did not profit them not being mixed with Faith 11. Highly prize the Scriptures Psal 119.72 The Law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of Gold and Silver Can he make a proficiency in any Art who doth slight and depreciate it Prize this Book of God above all other Books Saint Gregory calls the Bible the Heart and Soul of God The Rabbins say that there is a Mountain of sense hangs upon every Apex and tittle of Scripture Psal 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect (h) In illa continentur omnia quae ad perfectam pietatem pertinent Musculus Camero The Scripture is the Library of the Holy Ghost it is a Pandect of Divine knowledge an exact model and Plat-form of Religion (i) Adoro plenitudinem Scripturae Tertul. The Scripture contains in it the Credenda the things which we are to believe and the Agenda the things which we are to practice it is able to make us wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The Scripture is the (k) Regula mensura veritatis Rivet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irenaeus Isa 8.20 Standard of Truth the Judge of Controversies it is the (l) Animarum Cynosura Quistorp Pole-star to direct us to Heaven Prov. 6.23 The Commandment is a (m) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. Lamp The Scripture is the Compass by which the Rudder of our Will is to be steered it is the Field in which Christ the

irregular and inordinate love to the world for it self in competition with or opposition to the love of the Father as v. 16. Hence it follows neither the things that are in the World 1 Here we are again to take notice of another peculiar Idiom frequent with John both in his Gospel and Epistles namely to reiterate the same thing under different expressions partly by way of Exegesis and partly to give an Emphatick plenitude It might have sufficed that he had said love not the world But the more fully to explicate his mind as also to give an Emphase and Accent to what he had said he adds neither the things that are in the world He contents not himself with Generals but descends to Particulars which he more fully specifies v. 16. 2 By things that are in the world we may in a more strict and confined notion understand those things which worldly men do most magnifie and Idolize Mundane Grandeur Pomp Glory Riches Pleasures Honours Friends whatever else may Captivate the hearts of degenerate men In sum by the world and the things that are in the world must be understood all sensible natural civil yea mental Goods or whatever is inferior to God so far as it may stand in Opposition to or Competition with him and so prove matter of abuse and fuel for Lust as ver 16. It follows If any man love the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If here is causal and rational signifying as much as For or Because if and so it points out and ushers in the main Cause or Reason why we are not to love the world namely because he that Loves the world hath not the love of the Father in him As if he had said Alas are not the World and the Father perfectly opposite Do they not both require the whole Heart yea the whole man as Mat. 6.24 Is it possible then that he who loves the world at such a rate can love the Father Or we may take the words thus If any man Love the world c. i. e. so far as any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him And in this sense it will reach all both Saints and Sinners Though I take the words chiefly to be understood of predominant love to the world which is altogether inconsistent with love to God Lastly there lies something peculiar in that phrase The Love of the Father is not in him 1 Here we find another Idiom or manner of speech proper to John who frequently makes use of Antitheses and that both of Things Words and Sentences for Illustration and Confirmation whereof many Instances might be given as John 1.5 13 17 20 c. So here he opposeth the Father to the World And then the Love of the Father to the Love of the world which gives great Illustration and Demonstration to his discourse For opposites illustrate and demonstrate each other 2 Another thing to be considered herein is the object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Father Where the Article THE deserves a peculiar regard and so in deed do the various Articles in this text The world the Things c. For albeit these Articles sometimes in other parts of Scripture are not significative or emphatick yet here they seem to give some emphase So that The Father is here mentioned to specifie both the proper Object and Formal Reason of Evangelick Love as distinct from that Natural Love which Adam in Paradise had towards God as Creator First by the Father here is specified the proper object of Evangelick love namely that it must terminate on God as a gracious Father in and through Christ whereas Adam's natural love in Innocence terminated on God only as Creator Secondly by the Father also the formal Reason of Evangelick Love is specified namely that God's love towards us in Christ ought to be the formal reason or proper motive of our love to him 3 As for the Act the love it may be taken either passively and Octjectively for the Father's Love shed abroad in the heart as Rom. 5.5 or else subjectively and actively for our Love to the Father This latter I take to be primarily intended The words thus explicated admit this Logick Division We find in them first a prohibition and then the reason thereof annext In the prohibition we have 1 The Act Love not 2 The Object and this 1 In the General the World 2 In its Particularities neither the things that are in the world The chief whereof are specified v. 16. As for the reason of the prohibition it is wrapped up in an Hypothetick proposition which is easily reduced to a Catagorick Syllogism thus two loves perfectly opposite cannot consist together in one and the same heart but love to the world and love to the Father are perfectly opposite therefore he that loves the world hath not the love of the Father in him What love in its general Idea imports Sect. 2. A general Character of Love The words thus explicated contain in them this great Truth That a prevalent predominant Love to the World is altogether inconsistent with the Love of God Hence also there is offered to us this practick case of Conscience wherein the love of the World is inconsisent with the love of God The resolution of this so weighty a case depends much on the explication of its parts which we shall endeavour to examine and open under these three Questions 1. What Love in its general Idea or nature doth import 2. What it is to Love the world 3. What it is to love God these questions being explicated the resolution of our case will be facile and obvious 1. Quest What Love in its general Idea or Nature doth import this question being more Philosophick than Theologick we shall not much insist thereon But to clear up our way to the following questions we may take up this concise Character or Idea of Love as abstracted from this or that subject Love is the most vigorous potent imperious and soveraign affection of the humane soul which has its Royal seat in the Will or rather in the soul as willing what is Good For albeit I cannot conceive how the Will and Understanding may be really distinguished more than by their formal Objects and Acts yet I can easily grant the soul as willing what is good to be the proper Subject and seat of Love Not but that there is also passion of Love or something analogous to Love in the sensitive soul or Animal part But this is more Passionate that in the humane soul more Rational this more rash that more deliberate this more superficial and transient that more rooted and fixed this more confused and difform that more uniform and equal this more carnal that more spiritual in its objects and motions this more brutish and servile that more humane and voluntary specially if regular Now love thus seated in the will or soul as willing governs the whole soul with all