Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	spirit_n	word_n	write_a	2,319	5	11.0747	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53307	The race set before us, shewing the necessity laid upon gospel-believers, to run with diligence thorow all gospel-duties. A sermon preached in London, May 11. 1665. at Mercers-Chappel, unto that most eminent company, the Company of the Mercers. By Giles Oldisworth, Master of Arts, and rector of Burton on the Hill, in Gloucester-shire.	Oldisworth, Giles, 1619-1678.	1666 (1666)	Wing O254; ESTC R214468	20,280	47

THE RACE SET BEFORE US Shewing the Necessity laid upon Gospel-Believers to run with diligence thorow all Gospel-Duties A SERMON Preached in London May 11. 1665. AT MERCERS-CHAPPEL Unto that most Eminent Company THE Company of the Mercers Incipere multorum est perseverare perpaucorum Bernard By Giles Oldisworth Master of Arts and Rector of Burton on the Hill in Gloucester-shire Oxford Printed by A L Lichfield Printers to the University 1666. To the Right Reverend Father in God My singular good Lord HERBERT By Divine Providence Lord Bishop of HEREFORD My Lord THE more careless present times are the more vigilant your Lordship is to make and keep people zealous of good works The same was mine endeavour in this following argument which when I pressed I sought not applause but souls nor do I now publish it to have it praised but practised Mine easie stile and familiar method I hope none will condemn since plainness is the excellency of every race but much more of this for this is spiritual The more spiritual our race here set before us is the less it despaireth of your good Lordships implored Patronage In very truth there is no small affinitie between our Apostles divine precept and your Lordships Apostolical pattern in as much as your Lordship is made unto us a daily example how so to run that we may obtain For instance Goodly are those heritages great are those revenues pleasant are those mansions ancient are those honours which the bountie of God hath derived unto your Lordship but although all these ennoble your quality they no whit 1 entangle your goodness So doth your Lordship over-rule Temporal Blessings that they do only administer unto your Lordships spiritual Dignities and Duties in them and by them serveing the Church and the glory of Christ Jesus for whose sake your Lordship most professedly advanceth as well godliness as excellent gifts and as well holiness as learning This is one principal cause why with such obsequious confidence I am bold to dedicate unto your Lordship not only this mean Sermon but it 's undeserving Authour who ceaseth not to pray for encrease of sanctified blessings both upon your Lordship and upon your Lordships Familie for this becometh this delighteth From my Study Nov. 7. 1665. Your good Lordships most obliged Servant most devoted Chaplain Giles Oldisworth Perlegi hanc Concionem cui Titulus The Race set before us in quâ nihil reperio quo minus summâ cum utilitate imprimatur ROB. SAY S. Th. D. Vice-Can Oxon. THE RACE SET BEFORE US Shewing The Necessity lay d upon Gospel-Believers to run with diligence throrow all Gospel-Duties 1 Cor. 9.24 So run that ye may obtain COrinth was a city of Greece the Grecians were a people hostile and War-like in fight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he made the best Warriour who was 2 Sam. 2.18 like Asahel swiftest of foot to encourage a swiftness of foot at set Places at set Times were ordained were instituted solemn raceings crowns of baies or some other prizes were publickly produced for which run the race who so would run swiftest who so could he and he only who was the speediest runner wore the baies and won the prize Unto these solemnities S. Paul here alludeth The Text Saith he vers 24. I appeal from my practices unto your own customs I report myself unto your Olympick games unto your Isthmian races 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe ye not see that they who are running a race doe indeed run all but one onely receiveth the prize So run that ye may obtain Paraphrased Beloved while our ready writer thus appar relleth his Argument with similitudes borrowed from Isthmian races Note I pray you as well his language as his exhortation The sense the meaning of his exhortation urgeth Know ye not that many are called but few are chosen So obey the Gospel that ye may with fear and trembling work out your salvation This you see is our Authors sense and meaning but while to express this his meaning this Master of Eloquence fetcheth about forms of speech from Persons running in races his phrase importeth more than his precept wherefore Observation 1 From this very phrase Learn how to win on mens capacities Perceive ye not that there is no better way to silence gain-sayers than by assaulting them with matters from within their own knowledge Oh convince the disputer of this World by things so evident that there-unto he him-self must be forced to allow his assent Sirs As people are not easily estranged from their old acquaintances so they are soon reconciled unto what they know Things already known if once they are mentioned as they leave a just impression upon the memorie so they set an edg upon the understanding A word thus spoken how good is it 1 Cor. 13.1 If I want charitie I become as sounding brass Full well raiseth the Holy Ghost unto these Corinthians a comparison from brass since no one City was so famous for Brass as was this City of Gorinth Fitly also doth he here in my Text speak unto them of running since these Corinthians excelled in the races at Isthmus This is then the first instruction If ye would be able to convince others be able to allude unto instances within their own knowledge Observation 2 Next in that this form of speech so immediately relateth unto histories of former times even unto sports and customs anciently used amongst the Graecians of old Observe secondly how ill-advis'd all such persons are who cry down humane learning for either needless or worse True 2 Tim. 3.15 God's written word is able to make us wise unto salvation mean while it seemeth good unto the same blessed Spirit which endited it that humane learning should make us wise in this written word I say If we would finde the Holy Scriptures able to make us wise unto salvation either we must contemn the good gifts of Gods good Spirit else we must acknowledge humane learning to be that which maketh us wise in these Scriptures But contra rationem nemo sobrius as for those of our times who appear such haters of knowledge S. Aug de Trir. their folly is already manifested unto all men so manifested that I trust they them-selves shall proceed no farther Nor will I Wherefore in the third place Observation 3 In that our Apostle maketh so profitable a use of these races whereunto he here refers us Observe thirdly To the pure all things are pure A holy mind can spiritualize secular transactions The whole creation is or at least ought to be every whit as serviceable to the inward as unto the outward man There is a kind of a religious chimestrie in a devout soul Gen. 24.63 Send Isaac into the field and he will meditate Once let the Greeks solemnize raceings and S. Paul will give them the starting word So run that ye may obtain But distillatio favi that which without any the least straining most naturally droppeth from