Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	evil_a	good_a	righteous_a	5,888	5	9.2258	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07203	Contentment in Gods gifts or some sermon notes leading to equanimitie and contentation. By Henry Mason parson of S. Andrews Vndershaft London	Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647.	1630 (1630)	STC 17604; ESTC S102845	26,914	126

worke of his providence and wisdome This as also what our duty is herein wee may learne by S. Peter He when the Iewes out of their zeale to their own Nation contēded with him for that he had conversed with Cornelius his cōpany saying Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eate with them Peter made this Apologie for himselfe That God by a vision and a voyce from heaven had taught him that himselfe had cleansed those men that Peter therfore should not esteeme them as polluted and uncleane and that for further proofe hereof he had powred on them the Holy Ghost as hee had done vpon the Apostles in the beginning and then he addeth Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who beleeved on the Lord Iesus Christ what was I that I could withstand God Acts 11.17 In this passage wee may note three things 1 That God had shewed extraordinarie mercy to these Pagans They were aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of grace and yet God had not equalled them to the best of his servants hee gave them the like gift of the holy Ghost as he had done to his Apostles 2 That S. Peter seeing this gracious gift of God toward them acknowledged them for his brethren partakers of the same grace though this were a disparagement to his owne Nation whose glorie it was to bee Gods peculiar people 3 That if S. Peter had done otherwise if he had still accounted them Aliens and forborne their companie as Infidels and denied them baptisme the seale of Gods covenant in so doing hee had withstood God And the like should be our resolution also If God have given any gifts or graces to any of our neighbours whosoever the men or whatsoever the gifts bee though they breede us preiudice in our credit or in our estate or in our preferment yet if we sleight or debase or denie them we do what in us lyeth oppose withstand God in his gratious proceedings And therefore as it is said of those Iews who at first contended with Peter that when they had heard his defence they held their peace and glorified God for his mercy to the Gentiles so should wee doe if it do appeare that God hath enabled any though one of our inferiors with some eminent gifts wee should cease grudging wee should rather glorifie God for his mercy toward thē A dutie which if it were well learned by us all it would preserve our neighbors frō wrong and our selves from sinne And that wee may both learne and performe it the better I commend both to you and my selfe these three rules following 1 Rule If God have bestowed any singular blessing on any of our brethren though the height thereof may over-shadow us yet we should readily acknowledge it to Gods glory who gave it and to the praise of them that do enioy it Thus the people of the Iews did in our Saviours time For when they saw Christ to heale a Palsey man by his bare word they marvelled and glorified God who had given such power unto men Matt. 9.8 and Matth. 15.31 when the multitude saw the dumbe to speake the maimed to bee whole the lame to walke and the blinde to see they glorified the God of Israel And in the Christian Church when the Disciples heard that Saul of a persecutor was become a Preacher they glorified God in him Gal. 1. ult and Gal. 2.9 when the Apostles Peter and Iames and Iohn perceived the grace that was given to Paul after his conversion they though this might obscure their owne glory yet gave him right hand of fellowship and ioyned with him in the worke of the Ministerie And so should we doe also If wee know of any man who out of his learning and depth of knowledge is able to unfolde obscure points in Divinitie we should acknowledge his gifts and praise God who hath given such a gift unto men And if we meete with another who though he have no deepe learning yet hath a readie tongue and can apply Scriptures to the stirring of the conscience wee should acknowledge that gift where we finde it and give God the praise for bestowing such gifts upon men And if we happen upō a third who hath a ready wit to take the present occasion of doing good or a steedie memorie that can readily recount what he hath heard or read wee should acknowledge his happiness that hath it and praise Gods bounty that did give it And so if wee see a Magistrate who hath wisedome to discerne the truth and conscience to iudge aright or if wee meete with an Artificer that is pregnant in his Art or any professor that hath skil in his profession wee must not denie or diminish Gods blessings in them for feare lest they disparage us but rather blesse God who hath given such gifts unto men And this indeed is our dutie but what is our practise Surely Moses Aaron were appointed by God to be Governors to his people the one for ordering the Church the other for governing the Commonwealth both for the safe leading of the people into the promised Land but Korah and his Companie grudged them this preheminence Moses and Aaron ye take too much upon you all the Congregation is holy as well as yee Num. 16.3 And so in our daies some will acknowledge no Bishop in the Church nor scarse any King in the Common-wealth but as if they were men that had no master they reproach the one and contemne the other But if wee descend lower Iacob obtained a better blessing then his brother had and Esau hated him for it David had more honour given him then Saul had and Saul eied him and envied him for it And Ioseph was more favoured of his father then his other brethren were and they maligned him and stripped off his coate and sould him into Aegypt Nay which is yet more and more wicked Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain did and was better accepted then he was and therefore Cain hanged downe the head and was wroth with his brother and in the end murdered him And wherefore slew he him saith S. Iohn and he answereth the question with his owne words because his owne works were evill and his brothers righteous 1 Io. 3.12 And so is it among us The Courtier envieth his fellow if hee stepp into an office sooner then himselfe The Citizen envieth his neighbour if by good husbandrie hee grow richer thē himselfe The Rich man envieth those of his owne ranke if they bee more liberall and free-hearted then himselfe yea the Parishioner envieth his or her pew-fellow if they be taken up to an higher Seate then thēselves And which exceedeth in impietie sin the profane man hateth every man about him if hee be more charitable in doing good or more conscionable in catechizing of his childrē and more constant in holy duties with his familie And why