Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	adam_n	life_n	sin_n	1,057	5	4.7168	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43768	Conjugall counsell, or, Seasonable advice, both to unmarried, and married persons directing the first how to enter into marriage estate, and the other how to demeane themselves in the Christian discharge of all such duties as that estate of life blads them to, that God may have glory, the church edification, and themselves and families, present and future comfort, tending much (by the blessing of God) to a through reformation of all the enormities of these evil times / by T.H. ...	Hilder, Thomas.	1653 (1653)	Wing H1974; ESTC R20660	113,375	218

man to be alone verse 18. which accordingly he did for he made woman of a rib taken out of a man verse 22. which Adam ownes peculiarly v. 23. Therefore the Lord joynes them together in Marriage and so makes them one flesh v. 24. And then institutes Marriage to be an Ordinance in his Church to the end of the world and saith a man shall forsake Father and Mother and cleave unto his Wife for they twaine shall be one flesh Which Institution of Marriage our Saviour repeats in Matth 1● 5 also in Marke 10.7 And the Apostle saith Marriage is honourable among all men and the bed undefiled Heb. 13.4 From all which places there is a full confirmation that God and that in Mans Innocency did ordaine Matrimony and that Matrimony is an holy Ordinance of God From which as hath been premised it doth necessarily follow that they deserve to lie under abundance of just reproofe that either speake contemptibly of or any other waies do abuse this holy Ordinance of the Lord but this but by the way Marriage we say is an holy Ordinance of God and if it were entred into according to Divine directions and used in a holy manner it would be as we may say a Heaven upon Earth full of all outward joy Nay an help being sanctified of God to further us in the way to the fruition of glory in Heaven hereafter But since the fall of Adam from the state of Innocency such is the accursed deprivation of his Posterity that out of those things which are most Excellently good in themselves they will with the Spider suck out venomous poyson to their owne destruction And indeed from men and womens unlawfull entring into this otherwise blessed state of Life and their unholy use of it doth spring first dishonour to God who did Institute Marriage Secondly accessarinesse to the sin of those that contemne the Ordinance and are afraid to enjoy it rather chusing an uncleane and beastly life And lastly an occasion of others rash and inconsiderate running into this estate to the ruine of themselves and Posterity and the encrease of many poore Families to the great prejudice of Church and Common-wealth and divers other evils are hence produced Four things to be considered of before Marriage In the next place we shall by Gods assistance come to propose for preventing evill and procuring good in the estate of Marriage three things very necessary if not of absolute necessity for every man to consider of and that very seriously before Marriage as directions about entring into that estate Yea and a fourth consideration to be minded in the theory before hand too though the practique part thereof must be duly performed after words even in the injoyment of the Marriage condition First before a man seeke to enjoy the honourable estate of Marriage he must consider what calling he hath to change his life Secondly what ends he ought to propound to himselfe in desiring such change Thirdly what meanes he is to use to obtain his desires Lastly he must before Marriage labour to be throughly instructed in the duties that Married persons owe each to other and both to their Families as they consist both of Children and Servants First before any man labour to enjoy the marriage condition he must clearely see he hath a lawfull calling thereto if it be demanded How shall a man know that I answer Thou maiest know it first by thy fitnesse for that condition Secondly by thy unfitnesse for a single life If it be againe demanded how may a man know when he is fit to enter into the marriage condition I answer There is a threefold fitnesse which every man must have in some competent measure before he use meanes to change his single life for the Marriage estate First spiritual gifts Secondly fitnesse of Age Thirdly fitnesse of Estate or outward abilitie for such a condition But if it be againe demanded what need is there of spirituall gifts in such as enter the Marriage estate I answer there is need yea such great need of them that where they are not in some good measure there is no fitnesse for Marriage for When a man enters into that estate he becomes the Husband of a Wife and in process of time the Father of Children and the Master of Servants and these soules are committed to his Charge and God hath made him a Watchman over them Now if soules be not well Governed by such as have the Charge of them they will go astray if not lost for ever and if they receive prejudice through thy in●bility or neglect God will require their bloud ●t thy hands Consider that dreadfull threatning Ezek. 33.8 I assure thee it will reach full home in this case Now I demand of thee how wilt thou or how canst thou governe soules without spirituall gifts See then the necessity of them and labour for them before hand But if any do yet againe demand what spirituall gifts are requisite to enable a man to governe the soules of such as are committed to him I answer The first spirituall gift requisite to Governors The first spirituall gift necessary as before said is Divine knowledge A man had not need to be an Ignorant lot that is to governe others it cannot but be supposed that in the best Families there are some know nothing of Jesus Christ now our Saviour tels us that if the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch Mat. 15.14 Peter doth require Knowledge in Husbands 1 Pet. 3.17 Knowledge is of great use if it be but in the managing some outward calling it is of much more use in spirituall imployments David had much knowledge Psal 119.99 and he doth well improve it Psal 34.11 to teach and instruct his Children God complaines his People were destroyed for want of knowledge Ho● 4.6 Truly Beloved those poore soules that live in a Family where the Master is ignorant cannot gaine knowledge in such a Family Abraham did teach his Children and Servants which he could not do without knowledge Gen. 18.19 Joshuah will himselfe and his Family feare the Lord so that doubtlesse himselfe was a very knowing Christian Beloved every Christian is as well a Prophet in his own house to teach as a King to rule or as a Priest to offer the sacrifice of prayer to God Private Christians may observing due rules exercise their gifts in their Families when it is most notorious presumption to do it in publike but how can they that have no gifts exercise any besides a Family is a Society and if Godly a Church Now in all societies or Churches there must be Discipline exercised and good Government maintained as the Apostle doth imply 1 Tim. 3 5. Now an ignorant Housholder is fitter to be governed by others than be a Governor I desire to mention it to the shame of such as are Ignorant I mean such as are wholly ignorant of the duties of a Master of a Family and

their exorbitant lust to make them more sit to glorifie God and perform service unto men these and such like ought to be purely your aimes And lastly you must administer this Ordinance in a a right manner that is with lifting up your hearts to God desiring him with the correction to vouchsafe to them Instruction to sanctifie it to them so that it may prove effectuall for their Reformation to make them obedient to God in word and deed and faithtull in the discharge of all the duties they owe unto you Now when your carriage is truely thus in your correcting Children or Servants you may by the blessing of God expect some gracious effects of it except the Lord have a controversie with and against them to harden their hearts by this and other means to their own perdition Thus we have done with the foure general Duties which both Husband and wife owe unto both Children and Servants as first to instruct them in the wayes of God Secondly to pray with them and for them Thirdly to walk before them in good examples Fourthly and lastly to seek to reclaim them from bad wayes Now because the neglect of these Duties is a prime cause of infinite dishonour to God the means of many souls perishing to all eternity and the breeding of multitudes of rotten and vile members in Church and State we shall endeavour with the Lords Assistance to proceed to some reasons inforcing the performance of these Duties by all godly Governours and then come to make some Application thereof Reas 1 The first Reason is taken from the Command of God who requires the performance of all these duties at thy hands for thou hast seen by variety of Scripture Texts that these duties are not Arbitrary or of an Indifferent nature that thou maist doe them or leave them undone at thy own discretion Now as the Promises of God are to be the ground of thy Faith so the Commands of God are to be the ground of thy obedience That God requires these Duties of thee from hence thou maist gather an Argument that thou art bound to set thy selfe with all thy might to the performance of them A good understanding have all they that doe his Commandements Psalme 111. ult If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye doe them John 13.17 The life of a Christian lyeth chiefely in doing What singular thing doe yee Matth. 5.47 for so it is rendred in the old Translation What is the Theory of Religion if the practick part be wanting Now as you would approve your selves to be the Children of God you must obey him in all things for His servants you are whom you obey Rom. 6.16 The second Reason inforeing from you the Reas 2 performance of these duties before mentioned for the good of your children and servants is taken from those bowels of compassions that should be in you relating to the good of their souls for by thy neglect of teaching them the knowledge of God and praying for them and with them and walking before them in good examples and labouring to reclaim them from sinne they may perish in hell for evermore He saith James that converteth a sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death Jam. 5.20 and hide a multitude of sins and what knowest thou but by thy conscionable use of these meanes thou maiest instrumentally do it In Exod. 23.4 the Lord commands that if thou meet thy Enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray that thou shalt surely bring him back againe How much more then oughtest thou to be carefull when thou seest thy Children and Servants go astray from God in the wales that lead to hell to be carefull to bring them back againe and so to secure their poore soules from perishing Now in the way to hell thy Children and Servants alwaies walke when they are in a state of ignorance and in the practice of any sin My people saith God are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4.6 And as for thy poore Children thy own Loynes have been the Conduit-pipe to convey into their hearts and soules from Adam the fountaine all that corruption of nature which is in them and all that propensity to sin which is in their wils Truly it is not only against a gracious principle but against an Humane and Morall one too that thou shouldst thrust thy poore Child into a dangerous quagmire and then deny him thy hand to help pluck him back againe and that thou shouldst give him many a deadly and mortall wound and refuse to apply a plaister for his cure these similitudes are infinitely too short to set forth this case fully Now when thou dost neglect these meanes beforesaid thou dost shew thy selfe to be a cruell and bloudy Man a most savage beast there is no tearmes in the world that can fully set forth the intolerable vilenesse of thy condition be thou amazed and tremble like Belshazzar in another case Dan. 5.6 and set thy selfe to reforme The third reason to quicken thee to the performance Reas 3 of the duties beforesaid is taken from the account thou art to give to God at the great day for those soules that he hath committed to thy charge if they by thy neglect perish thou must be responsible for them at the generall Audit before God Angels and Men. At which time the Lord will not remit thee one graine of the non performance of any one of these or any other duties which thou shouldst have performed to have sought his own glory and the salvation of thy Children and Servants by For in Gods calling thee to be the Governour of a Family he hath made thee a watchman over their soules And consider thou that place for the purpose in hand in Ezek. 33.8 Eli the Priest was by reason of his indulgence to his Children a very defective man this way yet many thousand Millions of men are more He sought to reclaime his Sons from their wickednesse only by admonishing them of it and of the judgments of God for the same which is more perhaps than thou didst ever do but there unseasonably came to a period God punished this sin of his First upon those his wicked and degenerate Sons then on his own person and lastly on his whole house His Sons were slaine both in one day himselfe brake his neck and his house lost the Priests Office 1 Sam. 2.22 23 24 34 35 36. Chap. 4.11 18. Read the Story and lay it sadly to thy heart But the Learned do conceive that the personall punishment of Eli was but temporall because he was gracious though in the case before-mentioned a grievous offender I say read and and consider and as thou likest the punishment so practice the sin it is true God is patient but this his patience if further abused by thee will not prove thy priviledge but thy infinite disadvantage For thou shalt when it is too late find thou art rather reserved for hell than

Art thou a Husband Labour to performe thy duties to thy Wife Art thou a Wife Labour to discharge all those duties thou owest to thy Husband and both of you neglect not any of your duties you are obliged to discharge to your Children and Servants And it also concernes you to take care to see that your Children c. performe their duties to you which duties of all kinds you must mind and be informed in because hereby as you have heard God is glorified and both Church and State furthered in tranquillity and happinesse for by this means as before exprest you shall prevent a whole Catalogue of grievous sins from being perpetrated And so shall save the Ministers of God a great deale of paines ease their Loines and preserve their Lungs And prevent a great deale of trouble to all truly godly Magistrates who dare not beare the sword in vaine who had rather praise you and all others when they see you do that which is good than otherwise to be a terrour to you Beloved these are times look'd upon by many as times of Reformation And truly I look upon them as calling for much in that kind But let me tell you that let Ministers do their duties and Magistrates performe theirs yet if Governours of Families be remiss in the discharge of what concernes them in their relations in their little Churches and private Common-wealths all will come to nothing I professe the well instructing and right governing of Families is the eye of the worke I could wish with my soule that such as have power to make and constitute Laws would lay a very considerable Mulct upon all Governours of Families that neglect their duties to their Children and Servants to instruct and reforme them and that the same might not only extend to their purses but to their persons too You have heard before that by this meanes soules are sent to hell by multitudes such evill persons as these are what are they but the devils Factors and their sin and punishment one day without repentance will find them out but most sad of all men is the condition of such as even out of conscience as they pretend cast off the care of the soules of such as are under their charge they say and plead hard for it that none ought to be restrained from sin by use of meanes all Ordinances publique and private must be laid aside nay cast off with scorne and disdaine and men and women they say must wait for revelations from heaven sure they have had revelations from hell for their direction herein but from heaven they shall never have any unlesse it be in the demonstration of the wrath of God if they persist impenitently and for Family discipline there must be none let their Children Sweare Lye profane the Sabbaths or run in any vile way provided they call not their Parents and Masters vile Hereticks and abominable Schismaticks and offer to prove them such from the Word of God all is well for they say they can put no grace into their hearts but God will if they belong to him in due time Oh what tongue can tell or what heart can think what will be the portion of these men without Gods infinite mercy in converting and reforming them Truly contrary to intention when we first entred upon this Use we have made this digression it should have been a part of the other Use but being then omitted I was loath to let it wholly passe You may be pleased to remember that but even now I told you that were Governors of Families that if you did conscientiously discharge the duties which you owe c. you might hereby glorifie God and the tranquillity both of Church and Common-wealth would hereby be furthered c. So in the last place from hence you may conclude that as you glorifie God by this means and do good unto his poore Church on Earth by the encreasing and purging the members thereof that through the Lords free Grace in Christ you are Members of the Church of Christ here Militant and shall be of the Church Triumphant in the highest Heavens There to enjoy the fulnesse of happinesse at the right hand of Christ and all glorious and blessed Union and Communion with God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and with innumerable and blessed Angels and Saints even the soules of just men made perfect even for ever and ever O my soule praise thou the Lord praise ye the Lord. FINIS Christian Friend By reason of the Authors living far from London and also his urgent Imployments hindring him that he could not attend the Presse there hath some faults escaped and are here inserted in this ensuing Errata which thou maiest be bleased to mend with thy Pen c. In the Paternal Advice in p. 21. l. 11. f. groanes r. grave In the Epistle Dedicator p. 2. l. 22. f. and r. for l. 28. r. as upon Page 2 line 29 for a read the. p. 11 l. 32 33 f. poverty r. penury the same l. f. destruction r. distraction p. 12. l. 21. f. with r. into p. 24 l. 26 put a period at expected p. 28 l. 18 f. these r. those p. 36 l. 31 f. prove r. approve p. 37 l. 11 f. churlish r. a churlish l. 25 r. as ● p. 38 l. 8 f. stone r. a stone p. 39 l. 7 r. be too nice p. 45 l. 1 f. spirituall r. speciall p. 46 l 9 f. unhandsome r. unwholsome p. 50 l. 15 f. over r. even p. 51 l. 6 r. a muckworme l. 15 f. Hos r. Hest p. 93 l. 1 f. unto r. in p. 95 l. 13 dele no. l. 15 dele the. p. 108 l. 14 f. concerned r. concerneth l. 32 f. doth r. should p. 141 l. 10 f. duty r. Deity p. 143 l. 27 f. his r. thy p. 152 l. 16 f. command r. examples l. 19 f. thirdly r. secondly p. 164 l. 6 r. the eternall p. 169 l. 19 r. not what is she p. 173 l. 6 r. to the. p. 174 l. 17 f. eye r. Key