Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	adam_n	death_n	die_v	2,405	5	6.8336	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86493	Of the nature of faith. A sermon, / by Barten Holyday, Doctor of Divinity.	Holyday, Barton, 1593-1661.	1654 (1654)	Wing H2532; Thomason E809_17; ESTC R207573	12,893	37

OF THE NATURE OF FAITH A SERMON BY BARTEN HOLYDAY Doctor of Divinity LONDON Printed by S. G. for W. Lee and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Turks Head in Fleetstreet over against Fetter-lane end 1654. HEBR. 11.4 By Faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain OF The Nature of FAITH THere is not any action in common life performed without a kinde of belief no man of a rectified reason undertaking any business but with a belief both of the possibility of it and of the benefit Which as it is true even of civil faith in outward life so is it much more true of true faith in the inward life For without this no man can please God no man can intend to please God He that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Faith then must be the beginning of our action and should have been the beginning of Cain's action as it was of Abels but as at first it made an inward difference between their persons so at last an outward also between their sacrifices But the more distinctly to understand the actions of these brothers we may distinctly view the sacrificers the sacrifices the difference and the cause of the difference which was Faith by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice then Cain Behold the persons Cain and Abel The first work that God performed for man was to make him perfect and the first work that man performed after God's work was to make himself imperfect Which when Adam had done and afterwards had children God in his wisdome did in his first childe Cain shew him his graceless state into which he was fallen as in his mercy he did in his second son Abel shew him in some proportion the good estate into which he was restored In which two brothers God was pleased to shew that division which afterwards succeeded in mankinde Abel being the first of the most eminently righteous and Cain the first of the notoriously wicked Which difference in their inward estate some think to have been shadowed out in their outward estate Which strictly may not be admitted for truth both their professions being lawful though in some degree it may be granted if we look upon the occasions and readiness of trespass in the condition of the one more then of the other Behold Gain minding earthly things to be sure of his portion betakes himself to gainful husbandry and covetous commerce and with his son Enoch builds a City invents also as the Learned Josepbus tells us weights and measures and takes possession of the Eastern parts making himself a Lord in the earth which he chose for his portion though we must farther censure it as a woful husbandry to water the earth with his brothers blood and then to plow it But behold Abel a Shepherd the holy Patriarch of the Patriarchs and the Princes of Israel Behold a condition of life excellent for simplicity being a stranger or rather an enemy to City-craft Behold a life that does not so take up the minde as not to respite it to meditation the true use of life to meditation on the works of God so of our selvs a chief work of God Behold a life that requires not the fixed glory of an habitation but aptly expressing by its moveable shelter the humble pilgrimage of our life Behold a life helping us in this life with the ready charity and wisdom of clothing Behold a life which in that first age he help'd them to the matter of their sacrifice and was truly the substance of it whiles the embleme of the due innocency of it Behold a life not onely innocent but eminent a life that is the life whiles the lively image of a Prince and of God a good ruler being the Shepherd of his people careful to guide them careful to preserve them not letting the sheers go deeper then the wooll Behold a life the image of God tender in his providence over the improvident sheep more tender in his providence over man most tender in his providence over innocent men his Church and therefore anciently the Shepherd was not so joyfully clothed with the fleece as Kings and the King of Kings with the comfort and honorable title of the Shepherds of the people Now these two brothers did not onely differ thus in profession but also succession Cain had wealth and issue a father he was though of a race that was not so happy as to degenerate But Abel had the excellencies of sanctity and martyrdome Succession he had none but his example and in respect of age in that age of the world he died yong preventing the growing danger of corruption by grave and death Yet after an excellent manner God gave succession unto Abel whiles in stead of Abel he gave to Adam religious Seth whose righteous posterity dealing in innocent arts did afterwards dwell in the holy Land the type of that inheritance at which they aimed Nor were their posterities distinguished only in conditions but also in name the female posterity of Cain as some tell us being called the daughters of men as the male posterity of Abel supplied in Seth and which were taken with those beauties are for their worthy descent though not for their frailtie called the sons of God These then being the conditions of the persons you may see yea fore-see the conditions of their sacrifices for each of them did offer unto God a sacrifice The end of the creature is the honour of the Creator and such honor is to be performed by some acknowledgement and such acknowledgment has been always made by sacrifice which as it is due unto God by the right of Creation so has it been always performed unto God from the time of the Creation And such duty being required of man by God God always instructed man with such knowledge whereby he should be able to perform such duty In the beginning of the world God taught Adam and in process of times Adam taught Cain and Abel both the kinde and manner of their sacrifice Before and under the Law the sacrifices were much of a like nature they being both external and yet they differed by the many and special rites and ceremonies used in sacrifice under the Law The Mosaical sacrifices were of three kindes some of them being divided part unto God part to the Priest and part to the people such was the peace-offering and this offering was the meanest Some of them were divided part unto God and part to the Priest such was the sinne-offering and this was the second best But the last was the burnt-offering which was offered onely unto God and this was the most excellent Now all the sacrifices before the Law were like unto this being offered all onely unto God as all the spiritual sacrifices now under the Gospel as Love Prayer Fasting Obedience Humility Thankfulness and the