Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	ceremonial_a	law_n	moral_a	5,536	5	9.9611	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17384	A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.	1623 (1623)	STC 4211; ESTC S107078	497,216	958

properly signifieth for the gifts of the mind in Christians bestowed vpon them by Christ and so it is originally a philosophicall word expressing those indowments of the minde which Philosophers in their Ethicks prescribed and it is the more sparingly vsed by the Apostle because it is too low a word to expresse the worth of the rich mercies and graces of Christ and the Apostle Paul Phil. 4.8 when hee saith If there bee any vertue c. meaneth that if there were any vertue in which Philosophers did excell they should striue not to come behinde those natural men euen in those vertues such as were chastity liberality temperance sobriety magnanimity truth iustice and such like Now as the Scripture taketh notice of vertue it belongs to the duties of the second table as godlines doth to the first and though vertue considered morally hath nothing supernaturall in it yet considered as it is propounded heere it is of singular worthines to be regarded For though those vertues which were in the Philosophers were but naturall yet there were certaine vertues in Christ belonging to the second table which as the patterne is giuen vs in him could neuer bee found in meere naturall men so that the Apostle doth of purpose separate the consideration of vertues and in especiall call vpon vs to get framed in vs those vertues which did most shine in the nature and conuersation of the Lord Iesus Christ. Now in all the words foure things must bee distinctly handled First that euery Christian is bound to imitate the speciall vertues of Iesus Christ. Secondly that it is not enough to haue those vertues but they must shew them foorth accordingly Thirdly how those vertues thus shewed forth are still called the vertues of Christ. Fourthly the Periphrasis by which Christ is described is to be attended when he saith It is he that called vs. For the first of these It is apparant that the Apostle takes all the godly bound to the imitation of the vertues of Christ. Note by the way that it is the vertues of Christ that are to be imitated For euery thing in Christ is not to be imitated As First not his infirmities for though they were vnblameable and without sin yet they imported weaknes and so though they be in vs yet wee are not to striue after the attainment of them Secondly not his works of Diuinity as his miracles curing of men with a word walking on the water fasting forty daies and such like Thirdly not his workes of Office such works as he did in that singular obedience to that singular commandement of his Father in dying to redeeme the Church and so all the works of his Mediator-ship as he was the Mediator between God and man Fourthly not his works of obedience as the son of Abraham to the Moisaicall Lawes those that were Ceremoniall for Christ must be considered as the sonne of Adam and not as the sonne of Abraham As the sonne of Adam hee was bound to the Morall law whether as it was first written in mens harts or as after it was taught by tradition and at length by the Writings of Moses Fiftly we are not bound to follow euerie action of Christ in indifferent things no not in such as had some circumstantiall relation to religious duties such as were to sit and preach or to preach on mountaines or by high way sides and in a ship or to pray all night or to weare a garment without a seame or to sit at the Paschall Supper and a multitude of such like instances such as was the commandemēt to his Disciples to take nothing for their iourney neither staues nor scrip nor money nor two coates and so he preached the Gospell freely himselfe and such was his lifting vp of his eies to heauen in praier They are the vertues of Christ onely which we are bound to follow and among these such as he did chiefly win reputation in are in this place specially commended It is the duty then of euery Christian to study the life of his Sauiour and to seeke to imitate those things were most eminent in him Now that this point may more distinctly be obserued wee must consider what those vertues are and were which in Christ did so much excell and in Scripture wee are charged specially to imitate and would so much adorne the liues of Christians There are nine vertues which did exceedingly excell in Christ and would maruilously adorne the liues of Christians if they would walk as Christ hath left them example which I may recken in this order The first was wisdome and discretion The people wondred at his gracious words and the wisdome that was in in him Luke 4.22 and hee requireth of his Disciples that they should bee wise as serpents and innocent as doues and they should grow in vnderstanding and wisdome Col. 2.2 3. and 3.10 Now this wisdome of Christ wee should shew First by restraining rash zeale and furious sentences vpon wicked men as Christ did Luke 9.55 Secondly by auoiding with discretion the snares which are laid for vs by our aduersaries being aduised how wee let fall any thing might bring dishonor to our profession needles danger to our estates This discretion our Sauiour Christ shewed when he was tempted with hard and dangerous questions as that about Caesar and the questions of the Lawyers and Sadduces Thirdly by auoiding in indifferent things what by experience we see is misliked in others as when the austerity of Iohn was censured Christ tooke his liberty in the vse of the creatures and conuenient company-keeping Luke 7.33 34. Fourthly by giuing place oftentimes to the sudden and violent furies of wicked men when they will runne on wilfully till there may bee conuenient time to deale with them so did Christ often auoide the commotions of his aduersaries Fiftly By gracious words and fruitfull communication when wee so speake as becomes the Oracles of God with all reuerence and power 1. Pet. 4.11 Luke 4.22 It was in particular a singular discretion in Christ that when he was asked vain questions or such as were not so fitly propounded he answereth so as may most profit declining the answer that should onely feed curiosity or the like ill humours But yet it manifestly appears by the practice of Christ that this wisdome must not haue in it either forbearing of iust reproofs or dissimulation or the omission of necessary duties or the practice of vnlawfull things for fear of men or a subtilty onely to compasse great things for ones self or a deniall of the truth or such like The second thing in Christ was meeknes and this we are charged to learn of Christ Mat. 11.29 And thus Paul beseecheth them by the meeknes of Christ 2. Cor. 10.1 Now wee should shew this meeknes first by restraining the passions of our hearts such as are anger malice wrath bitternesse and the like this way our Lord Iesus did wonderfully

be obserued that though in sleepe the common sense and so the outward senses are all bound yet the phantasie and memory doe not cease but being now freed from the attendance vpon the intelligences of them or the outward senses as if they were at more liberty they are exercised more freely and often fall to new forming and compounding of the Images brought in before by the common sense and so erect a newe frame of things which are vented expressed by dreaming In which a secret and admirable working of God by the soule may appeare if wee consider the strange things are fashioned in our imagination in our sleepe yea the reasonable soule in sleep comes into this shop of the phantasie and there doth strange works which as I said are vented in our dreams in which wee finde as effectuall vse of reason as as wee had waking Thus of the soule as it worketh apprehension Now followeth it to consider how the soule works motion vpon the body It is out of all doubt that motion in the body is from the soule For of it selfe it is but a dead lumpe as it shewes it selfe to be when the soule is gone out of it Now the soule giues vnto the body a threefold motion First the vitall motion Secondly the motion of appetite Thirdly the motion from place to place The vitall motion giuen to the body by the soule is wrought two waies both by the pulse and by breathing both of absolute necessity to preserue life in the body The motion of pulse is begunne at the heart which is made continually to beat by the soule which beating of the heart begets those sparkles which wee call vitall Spirits arising out of the finest of the bloud which spirits are carried by the pulse thorow the arteries and they shine in the whole body according as their passages are more or lesse open Breathing is another strange motion of the soule in the body by which both aire is fetcht in continually for the cooling of naturall heat in the heart and other members and the spirits refreshed and also the grosse and more smoaky spirits are exhaled out of the brest Thus of the vitall motion The motion of appetite is a contrary commanding motion in the creature by which hee is inclined to take to him such things from without as he conceiues good and needfull for him and so likewise to auoid things hurtfull and so the soule begets diuers appetites and desires as the desire after food which wee call hunger and thirst and the desire after procreation and the appetites wee call affections or passions so farre forth as they are seated vpon the body and exercised by instruments in the body such as in generall breed sorrow or pleasure or passiueness in vs such as are ioy grief anger and the rest c. It were too difficult and too tedious for popular teaching to shew in particular and distinctly how the soule admirably worketh about each of these The motion from place to place is the last and this is a strong work of the soule driuing on the body to the motion of the whole or of some part of the body The body cannot remooue it self but it is of the soule that it is stirred vp and down for when the soule is gone it can mooue no longer And in vain were appetites or desires giuen to the creatures if this motion from place to place were not giuen because without it it could neuer compasse things desired Hitherto of the working of the soule vpon the body and those strange things it doth in the body by the faculties of vegetation and sense It is true that those things are done by the soules of brute creatures but as their soules differ exceedingly from the glory and excellency of the soules of men so are the effects vpon their bodies but certain glimpses of those things which are done exactly by the soules of men I mean in respect of the inward senses of phantasie and memory there is in beasts but onely a dark shadow of them in comparison of what is in men But for the third faculty of the soule which is reason therein men excell all creatures in this visible world and it is profitable for vs to know what God hath done for vs in our soules generally considered aboue all other creatures and so man excells in respect of his reasonable soule 1. In that hee can conceiue of things by the light of vnderstanding as well as by sense This light is admirable whether we conceiue of it as proceeding from GOD who shines vpon the soule as the Sunne doth vpon the body or whether wee beleeue it to be a light conferred vpon the vnderstanding by which from within it discerns things 2. In that it can conceiue of things that neuer were in the senses as things absent that neuer were seen yea things altogether immateriall as Angels and vertues and vices 3. In that it can conceiue of the nature of God and discern God from his works 4. In that it can conceiue of things by a discerning reflexion as it can conceiue of it selfe and vnderstand that it doth vnderstand 5. In that it can distinguish between good and euill truth and falshood I say of the morall goodnes of things whereas the phantasie can iudge onely of so much of the naturall goodnes of things as they shew to the outward senses 6. In the largenes of the extent of our vnderstanding For the vnderstanding can in a small moment of time go almost ouer the world and view it all as it were at once whereas the senses are forced in within a narrow compasse 7. In that it can inuent things that neuer were in beeing and thus wee see daily what strange things for number and skill are inuented for the vse of the life of man by art and skill of mans vnderstanding in euery calling of men 8. In that the reasonable soule gouerns and appoints and crosseth and fetters and alters and rectifies the other faculties of vegetation and sense and in respect thereof can turn and tame and rule and order all sorts of other creatures 9. In that by begetting with strange variety it can make knowne what images are within whether begotten by the senses or by the minde it self 10. In that it is the faculty by which onely true blessednes is apprehended and attained 11. In that mans vnderstanding is made after a sort all things For the vnderstanding becomes the things vnderstood in that it doth conceiue a true and euident image of the thing to be vnderstood so that as man is the Image of God so hath he in him the images of all things printed as it were in his vnderstanding This is a most dreadfull dignity in the soules of men yea heerin he resembles God in the creation of the world for man's reasonable soule doth as it were form worlds of things in it self If any obiect that the sensitiue soule hath the images of