Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	eternal_a	good_a	reward_n	7,006	5	8.9757	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08457	The pearle of perfection sought after by Charles Odingsells, Doctour of Divinitie	Odingsells, Charles, d. 1637.	1637 (1637)	STC 18782; ESTC S113411	51,839	106

mentioned by them understand good workes done of faith as we doe generally take them So as Bucer professed in the conference at Ratisbon Bucer apud Cassand Coufut art 6. saying If by to merit the Fathers and others understand to doe through faith of the grace of God good workes to which God hath promised and will render a reward To use the word in this sense wee will not condemne Wherein we wholly agree with St. Bernard who explaineth the matter thus Bern. de Gra. lib. Arb. Those which wee call our merits if they be properly called are certaine seminaries of hope incentiues to charitie signes of secret predestination presages of future felicitie the way to the kingdome not the cause of raigning there Now correspondent to our good workes in this life shall our eternall reward be in the other life Math. 16.27 For the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then shall he reward every man according to his workes This our blessed Saviour the truth hath taught us and after him his chosen vessell of mercy and trumpet of grace hath delivered unto us the same infallible veritie namely Rom. 2.6 that God will render to every man according to his deeds So that such as our measure of grace is in this life such shall our measure of glory be in the other world such as our vertues and good workes be here such shall our happinesse and felicitie be there Let us then not be weary of well doing knowing that in due season we shall reape if we faint not All that shall be judged worthy in Christ to enter into the heavenly Paradise shall haue perfection of all parts and essentialls of glory aquè non aequaliper one as well as another not equally in degree one with weather All who haue faithfully laboured in Christ Vineyard shall at the end of the day receiue their penie aqualem mercedem vita non gla●ia Ambr. in Lus. cap. 15. an equall reward of life not of glory according to St. Ambrose for suppose faith he there is not grace one reward diversum tan●●n bra●iu●● violeri●● est yet the prize of victory is diverse It is true that in respect of the object participated one is not more blessed than another all beholding one God the fountaine of life But in regard of the disposition of the subjects participating one shall be more happie than another because one shall see God more clearely than another one shall loue God more perfectly and ardently than another and that in so large and ample latitude as we are not now able to comprehend The Apostleteacheth us 1 Cor. 15. ve 41 42. that there is one glory of the Sonne another of the Moone and another of the ●●ines for one starre differeth from another starre in glory So is the resurrection of the dead They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the fir●●●● at Dam. 12.3 and they that turne many unto rightenasnesse as the starres for ever and ever Now although every starre be perfect in it selfe yet in comparison of a greater it may want perfection Hieron advers Pelag. lib. 1. as St. Hierome notes So although every glorified Saint shall be perfect in it selfe yet may such compared to others more glorious want perfection not of parts or essentialls but of degrere of glorie But all shall be perfect all according to their proper measure and capacitie shall b●fully f●●led with glorie none shall want all 〈◊〉 enough Prosp de vita 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. cap. 4. all shall haue sufficient Quia singulie prampia suasufficientia erunt capere ampl●● 〈…〉 am perfecti non p●terint Every 〈…〉 shall be sufficient for them and being 〈◊〉 perfect they shall not be able to receiue any more saith St. Prosper As many vessels of diverse quantities dipt into the Ocean will all be filled but every one according to their proper quantitie Or as divers guests at a feast are fully satiated and filled yet all doe not eat alike and receiue the same quantitie but every one according to the strength and measure of their stomacke So shall it be with the Elect in the kingdome of God in the day of the Sonne of man that day of glorie all shall haue satietie of heavenly delights and pleasures but every one according to their capacitie and measure During their pilgrimage on earth they walked on patiently in the way of good workes they hungred and thirsted after righteousnesse but then shall they be satisfied with life righteousnesse and glory How 〈◊〉 redeemed them with his sacred bloud will now satiate them with the bread of life and inebriate them with the wine of his loue And as the sweet singer of Israel speaketh Psal 36.8 9. He will abundantly satisfie them with the fatnesse of his house and will make them drinke of the ●●●er of his pleasures for with him is the fountaine of life and in his light shall they see light They shall see the light which shall never decay enjoy the life which shall never haue an end For they shall ever behold Him who is the light and the life who is all perfection all glory all felicitie all eternitie who is all in all To that all sufficient being who is his owne eternall being and the being of all other 〈…〉 who is Alpha and O●●ega the beginning and the ending the first and the last To the Creator of the world the glory of the Angels the light and life of men To that infinite fountaine of loue which hath loved us with an ever lasting loue in Christ the sonne of his loue To the Father of mercies the God of all grace peace and consolation be ascribed of us all goodnesse wisedome power prayse honour glorie adoration thankesgiving for all his blessings in Iesus Christ now and in all ages for ever Amen FINIS Perlegi Librum h●nc dignumque judico qui typis mandetur Tho. Weekes R. P. Epo Lond. Capel domest

Iesus Christ to him be glorie both now and for ever Amen CHAP. XXX What perfection of inherent righteousnesse is attainable in this life MOst absolute and infinite perfection of righteousnesse is onely in God who is that light in whom there is no darknesse at all of whom the sweet singer of Israel could say Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes But that righteousnesse which is in man is finite and limited and such is all the perfection he can attaine in it and both accrew unto him by participation from him who is the fountaine of righteousnesse and perfection Now that perfection compatible to man Aquin. in Phil. cap. 3. lect 2. is two-fold first Viae secondly Patriae the first incident to man in the state of grace whilst he is as yet a way-faring pilgrim and stranger on earth the second belonging to man when he comes into his heavenly Country and is a member of the triumphant Church in the state of glorie What perfection of righteousnesse wee may attaine in the way of this life wee are now to enquire of and in searching it out wee shall finde all our perfection attended with much imperfection Haec hominibus sola perfectio si imperfectos esse se noverint Heron. adv Peti li. 1o. This is the onely perfection in men if they acknowledge themselues imperfect But how shall we know and acknowledge our selues imperfect but by finding out in our selues the defect and want of those things whereby we should be perfected and by what other meanes can wee possibly be perfected than by knowing God and beleeving in God and loving God and obeying God For by such knowledge faith charitie and obedience Christian perfection is attained But alas as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.9 wee know in part and so wee beleeue in part and loue God in part and obey him in part St. Gregorie therefore knits the foure linkes of this chaine by the first and the last with a tantò quantò saying tantò quis operatur quantò Deum noverit Greg. in Ezek. hom 22. so much as wee know God so much wee obey him in our workes such as our knowledge is of him such is our obedience to him such is our righteousnesse and hereupon St. Iohn saith Hereby wee know 1 Iohn 2.3 that wee know him if wee keepe his Commandements Now wee cannot keepe his Commandements unlesse wee loue him for this is the loue of God 1 Ioh. 5. v. 3. that wee keepe his Commandements and wee cannot loue him unlesse we beleeue in Him Gal. 5.6 for faith worketh by loue and we cannot beleeue in Him unlesse wee know him and can say with the Apostle Scio cui credidi 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeved That wee may be perfect wee must haue perfection two wayes Aquin. in Heb cap. 5. lect 2. saith Aquinas First secundùm intellectum in our understanding by being able to discerne and judge aright of things secondly secundùm affectum in our affection by charitie cleaving wholy to God For charitie is in a sort of as large extent as inherent righteousnesse being the fulfilling of the Law the mother of obedience and every good worke We are perfect in that wee haue faith hope and other vertues truely in some measure but in that we haue them not in full measure we are imperfect and so our perfection though true is still imperfect St. Paul said of himselfe he was not perfected Phil. 3.12 after in the fifteenth verse he calles himselfe perfect Fulg. de praedestin ad Monimum li. 10. Whereupon Fulgentius saith of him He was perfect by expectation of reward imperfect through wearisomenesse of the combat Hee was perfect in that with his minde he served the Law of God he was imperfect in that with his flesh he served the Law of sinne Thus it was in the chosen vessell of mercy much more in us in whom all our perfection is ever attended with many imperfections CHAP. XXXI Of perfect righteousnesse in this life more punctually and plainly AS all the lines in a Circle passing from the Circumference through the mediate meete in the Center So all the righteous workes of the Saints proceeding from grace through faith are terminated and mee●e in the Center of Gods glorie 1 Cor. 10.31 according to that precept of the Apostle Doe all to theglorie of God and surely to doe so is true perfection Now every thing is perfect saith Aquinas Aquin. in Philip cap. 3. lect 2. in such sort as it doth adhere to the perfection thereof but our ultimate perfection is God and his glory now to referre all our actions totally and actually to God and his glorie is perfectio patriae the perfection of our heavenly Countrie and not to be found in any man on earth saue in Christ onely who in the dayes of his flesh was both Viator and Comprehensor both in the state of grace and state of glory But Aquin. ●b● supra as Aquinas saith againe to apply our hearts in nothing unto that which is against God and referre our whole life habitually unto God is perfectio viae that perfection of us way-faring pilgrims ☞ ad quam omnes tenentur ex necessitate salutis whereunto all are bound upon necessitie of salvation No man doth actually referre his whole life unto God and his glorie Eccles 7.20 James 3.2 for there is noman just an earth which doth good and sinneth not and in many things wee all offend David and St. Peter and other holy men of God had their faults and errors and yet were habitually righteous therefore remarkeable is that excellent observation of St. Ambrose Divina justicia Denitune justi ☞ Ambr. in Luc. cap. 1. ex mantir habitu non aliquo factor 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 measare the 〈◊〉 of the righteous by 〈…〉 minde not by some event of workes 〈…〉 none could be righteous none would 〈…〉 none could expect the reward of glory it is the triumphant Church which is all faire and there is no ●●●●●ish in hen There fore howsoever the perfectists con●●●iue of it it is most true which St. Augustine writeth Aug. de eccl dogm cap. 85. Nullus sanctus justus caret peceato thee tamen hoc desinit esse sanctus justus 〈…〉 no just and holy man is 〈…〉 sildae never the lesse he doth nick cease to be holy and just seting in affection he retaines sanctitis So that still a man may be habitually righteous who is not without all error and actuall prevarication To loue and affect holinesse is a degree of holinesse as to desire and endeavour to be perfect is a degree of perfection according to that in St. Bernard Bern. ad Garin Abb. ep 254. Studere perfectioni perfectio est to study to be perfect is perfection Luther writes of one Staupitius a godly learned man that he vowed a