Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	faith_n	word_n	write_a	3,171	5	10.6412	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61625	A sermon preached before the King & Queen at White-Hall on Christmas-Day, 1693 by the Right Reverend Father in God, Edward Lord Bishop of Worcester.	Stillingfleet, Edward, 1635-1699.	1694 (1694)	Wing S5665; ESTC R8161	16,121	37

But this is impossible in another State and therefore nothing but what will bear a most strict and severe Scrutiny can give any Support or Comfort to the Mind then It must be true and real Good to create any Satisfaction It must be durable and lasting to keep it up It must be Compleat and Perfect to answer all the just and reasonable Desires of an Immortal Soul And what can this be less than God himself And therefore the Christian Religion speaks most agreeably to Natural Reason when it still supposes the Happiness of another VVorld to consist in the Presence and Enjoyment of God For those must have all that is desireable who enjoy the Favour of him who commands all things and knows how to suit them to the greatest Advantage to those to whom he designs to shew his Favour And this Prospect of another State or of the Salvation of Mankind by Christ's coming into the World is that which lets us into another View of all that relates to the Son of God's coming into the VVorld For if our Minds be possessed with great Apprehensions of the Power and Greatness of the VVorld all that the Gospel represents as to the manner of God's sending his Son into the VVorld his being born of an obscure Virgin being laid in the common Manger being bred up in a private Place having so mean Followers meeting with so cold a Reception from his own People and at last being exposed to an Ignominious Death by them looks very Reproachfull and Contemptible But on the other side if we could raise our Minds to such Idea's of things here as the Glorious Spirits above have and see how all things are esteemed by them according to the Ends and Purposes they are designed for we should then perceive how admirably all these things were fitted for his great End which was to wean Mens Hearts from the Pomp and Vanities of this VVorld and to prepare them for a better and we should then have quite another Opinion of these things For as there is a certain Greatness which is above all the formal Shews and affected Appearances of it so when a Great and Noble Design is to be carried on the true Measure of Decorum in that Case is that which is most serviceable to the principal End If a great Person had a Design to rescue some near Relations out of Slavery he would never go with a splendid Equipage and a long Train of Attendance which would but make his Person more gazed at and his Design less Effectual If he had intended to have rescued them by Force out of Captivity it had been necessary to have had Power and Strength proportionable to his Design but if it were only by Perswasion then he must accommodate himself to such Methods as were most likely to prevail The great End of the coming of Christ was to deliver the Souls of Men from a much worse Captivity viz. of their own Sinfull Passions and the Devil's Tyranny by their means but he did not come in a way of Violence to break open the Prison-doors and in an instant to knock off their Fetters and bid them be free but he makes use of all the gentle and effectual methods of Perswasion not only by his Words but by his own Example that they might learn by him to despise this World who had so little in it and to prepare for that from whence he came where their Happiness should be unconceivable and without End III. The Third Principle is That no such Particular Favour of God is to be expected as long as his Displeasure is so just against Mankind for Sin and no effectual Means used to remove it The truth is the whole Scheme of the Gospel turns upon this Point whether God be really displeased with Mankind for their Sins so as to need a Reconciliation For if all that the Scripture so often expresses concerning the Wrath and Displeasure of God against Mankind for Sin be only Figurative and Hyperbolical Expressions then the whole Design of the Gospel must be given up as a meer Scheme for if God be not really displeased there is no need of Reconciliation if no need of that then there can be no need of Christ's coming to reconcile us to God and if he did not come for that End we have no Reason to believe the Scripture which affirms it over and over And I do not think any stronger Argument can be brought to prove a thing than that the most Emphatical Expressions are so often applied to that purpose by such Persons who used all Sincerity and Plainness So that this matter as to the Scripture is clear if any thing can be made so and if nothing can I cannot see how it is possible to have a written Rule of Faith since all Writings are capable by Ambiguity of Words and Phrases by the different Use of Particles and Transposition of Letters and Syllables of very different Interpretations But this is not my present Business which is rather to consider the Natural Sense and Reason of Mankind as to this matter We cannot in Reason suppose any such Passion in an Infinitely Perfect Being as that which we call Wrath and Anger in Men. For that is a violent Perturbation arising from Surprise and Indignation but there can be no Disorder or Surprise in a Being of Infinite Wisdom Therefore Wrath in God must suppose two Things 1. A just Cause of Displeasure given by us 2. Such a Just Displeasure following upon it as will End in the severe Punishment of Offenders if it be not removed Now whether there be a just Cause of Displeasure or not must depend upon the Natural Differences of Good and Evil. And it is impossible that any one who exercises his Reason can judge amiss in this Matter Not that all the Differences of Good and Evil are equally clear for all Propositions in Mathematicks are not so but it is sufficient to our Purpose that the general Principles are so and the greater Instances so that no Man can think that he Acts as much according to Reaso in one as the other And can any one of common Sense imagine God to be as well pleased with him who blasphemes his Name and despises his Service and hates Religion as with one that Fears and Honours him and endeavours to Please him Can he be as well pleased with him that assassines his Parents as with him that obeys them With him that robs and defrauds his Neighbour as with him that relieves him in his Necessities With him who subdues his disorderly Passions as with him that gives way to them With him who is Cruel Inhuman and Perfidious as with him that is Faithfull and Just and Compassionate These are but some of the Instances of the Differences of Good and Evil but they are so plain and notorious that a man must renounce the common Principles of Humanity who doth not own them And to say there are no such Differences because