Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	good_a	merit_n	merit_v	6,691	5	10.7705	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14708	Certaine godlie homelies or sermons vpon the prophets Abdias and Ionas conteyning a most fruitefull exposition of the same. Made by the excellent lerned man, Rodolph Gualter of Tigure. And translated into Englishe, by Robert Norton. Minister of the worde in Suffolke.	Gwalther, Rudolf, 1519-1586.; Norton, Robert, minister of the worde in Suffolke.	1573 (1573)	STC 25010; ESTC S103038	125,106	338

rather a perplexitie For Ataph is as muche to say as to couer and to hide or to wrappe in And by translation it is applyed to the Soule for that it when as dangers are imminent on euery side séemeth so to be wrapped soldē in with an huge heape of eares and intricate thoughtes that a man can appointe no certeintie how to deale euen in his owne matters Hereof doth Dauid complayne when as in the Psalmes he saith Hovv lōg shall I tosse thoughts in my soule and sorovve in my hert al the day long And againe VVhy arte thou troubled O my soule and vvhy arte thou so disquieted vvithin me Neyther is it to be doubted but that Ionas béeing in the whales bellie was tossed wyth hys thoughtes as it hadde bene with terrible byllowes and coulde not certaynely determine with hymselfe what were beste to bée done But when as saith he my soule was thus wrapped in and now being ouercome with sundrie cares was cothing away I thought vpon the Lorde This was not a vain or flitting remembrance suche as nowe and then springeth vp in the mindes euen of the vngodly but such a one as meditated both vpon the promises of God and also on the couenaunt it selfe together wyth his olde benefites the considering whereof dothe wonderfully encrease faith exciting them to ardent prayers and full of confidence who before tyme gaue ouer in temptations Therefore addeth hee And my prayer came in vnto thee euen into thy holye Temple Wheras although by the word Temple he meaneth the Heauen which is called the palace and throne of God for that therein his maiestie and puissaunce dothe chiefly appeare yet neuerthelesse doubt I not but therewithall he hath respecte to the promises made concernyng the Temple and the outward sacrifices whereby he confirmed his faith as lately hath bene sayde This then is his meaning Although in the depth of the sea I had my abiding within the bowels of the Whale yet had I in mynde bothe thée and thy couenant the seales wherof all that worship of the Temple ordeyned by thy appoyntment doth conteine And for this cause did I crye vnto thée neyther were my prayers in vayn but they pierced thorough the verie heauen and came vp euen into thy sight And here may we sée howe Ionas was occupied chiefly aboute two thinges For both he had in remembraunce God his promises and also beeing established in faith he poured out his prayers vnto the Lord wherby he craued for his aide Neither did he it onely at that presente but therwithall he learned that he muste also do the same afterwarde giueth out his owne example to be folowed of all men whiche oute of aduersitie couet to escape safe For this is the propertie of the godlie that although they be verie greuously tempted yet doe they neuer shake off all myndfulnesse of God but by the remembraunce of his promyses doe they staye vp their faithe and béeing instructed of Gods good will by his benefites doone of olde time they vse also for euer after to put their whole hope of saluation in him alone And this truly is the principal vse of all the benefites of God which he bestoweth either vpon other men or vpon our selues Neither shal they at any time be frustrate of their hope who soeuer wil imitate Ionas example For Blessed is the man sayth the Prophet vvhich trusteth in the Lord and vvhose hope is the Lorde Again Blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe and vvhose hope is the Lord his god Psa. 17. Psa 146. Howebeit that Ionas mighte yet the more commende the doctrine which may be gathered by his example in the other part of this comparison he bringeth forth the mainteiners of superstitions compareth by a contrarietie their brickle and deceytfull estate with the felicitie of the godly They that holde sayth he of lying vanities vvill forsake his mercie Lying vanities that is to witte most fonde and deceiptfull vanities he termeth all that whiche men fansie vnto themselues of their owne brayne to putte any hope of saluation therein Vnder this title therefore may be accompted straunge gods idols superstitious worshippings mens ayde mens imaginations good workes or merites and whatsoeuer else of this kynde may be deuised For if wée will somwhat narowly view these things we shall finde them to be suche as that with Salomon we maye worthily exclame Vanitie of vanities and all is but plaine vanitie For as touching strange gods it is manifest that besides a vayne name they haue nothyng at all syth that in the nature of thinges they haue not so much as a being And bicause there be no gods at all it foloweth of necessitie that the images which are set vp for them be lykewise nothyng This verie thing the Apostle also noted 1. Cor. 8. As for the other that are reared vp to represent the true God what are they but mere lyes seeing it is a playn case that God can not by any image be represented VVhom vvil ye make me lyke crieth he himself by the Prophet and vvhome shall I be lyke Al caruers of images are vanitie and the things that they so couet profite nothing at al. They must beare record themselues that seing they can neither see nor vnder stand they shal be cōfounded VVho dare then make a god or fashiō an image that can do no good Many like places might here be brought in whiche for shortnesse sake we omit seing that such as reade the scriptures may be acquainted with thē euerywhere And as for superstitious worshippings it is euident that God cannot be so worshipped with outward thinges but sith he is a spirite he wil be worshipped in spirite truth Most fonde therfore is all that confidence whiche is placed in outwarde ceremonies And what need we to make any mention of mens helps and counsels when as Al flesh is grasse and all the glorie therof as the floure of the fielde Yea and Hieremie pronounceth all them accurssed which take fleshe for their arme And Dauids voyce is this Put not your trust in Princes being children of men for ther is no help in them Of lyke value also be all our works and merites For what may they merite who of themselues are not able so muche as to thinke a good thought and whose righteousnesse being like a filthy shroude patched of sundry ragges can not therefore stand in the presence of Gods iudgemēt For this reason doth the prophet rightly terme them lying vanities adding thys therwithall They that holde of them vvill forsake his mercie By this woorde Mercie he vnderstandeth euen God himselfe who how great soeuer he be is altogether mercie and in verie déede the mercie for men for that he offereth him selfe to vs neyther departeth from vs vnlesse wée fyrst forsake him as they do which holde of vanities that is whiche place not all hope of saluation in him