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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	day_n	lord_n	week_n	2,982	5	9.9436	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60455	A sermon preached in St. Saviour's Church in Dartmouth, July 24th. anno Dom. 1698 Together with some refections on the opinion of those, who affirm, that the only difference between the Church and the meeting-house, is that of a few ceremonies. In a letter to a friend. By Humfry Smith, M.A.	Smith, Humphry, b. 1654 or 5.	1698 (1698)	Wing S4086; ESTC R224030	30,983	72

destructive of all his Interests but that he that is faithful to his Duty and his God can look upon as the gracious design of Heaven for his very great Benefit We know Ro. 8. 28. saith St. Paul that all things work together for good for them that love God What hath be●n thus said does I think sufficiently clear the thing I was to make out The following of that which is Good appears the true way of safety because it directly aims at becalming the Rage of evil Men because it entitles to a divine Protection and because it turns ill Usage into Advantage I will put you in mind of some good Purposes for which the consideration of this truth naturally serves and so make an end And it is certainly proper 1. To render us sensible of the Folly of a worldly Policy 2. To rouse us up to a just Diligence in securing to our selves so excellent a Preservative 3. To make us faithfully rely on it in a day of fears and troubles First The following of Good being the surest means to preserve us from hurt or Evil We cannot but hence be convinc'd of the folly of a worldly Policy He that walketh uprightly saith Pro. 10. 9. Solomon walketh surely but he that perverteth his ways shall be known He that observes no other measures but such as are lawful and right treads upon Firm Ground and cannot as we have seen miscarry But he that depends upon the fine contrivances of a carnal Wisdom manages some secret design for his own Interest or Safety to the neglect of any part of his duty at length meets with disappointment and overthrow The Wise Project deceives and the mysteries of it are Expos'd to laughter and contempt Of this all Histories both Sacred and Profane afford us many Examples to instance in two or three A●ithophel was great when of Council to David but hoping belike that a new Turn of affairs might make him greater he deserted his Master and followed Absalom And the advice that he now gave was answerable to the character of his Wisdom subtile and politick but not honest And Behold the Event the counsel of Ahithophel was defeated and he was not able to out-live the shame and disappointment He sadled his Ass and arose and got him home to 2. Sam. 17. 23. his house and hanged himself No one I think ever carried on a Plot with more artifice than he at first did to whom Ahithophel revolted We find the great address with which he betook himself to it at large describ'd at 2 Sam. 15. But the policy was sinful and opposed the laws of that Wisdom which is of God and so soon issued in his destruction What a mighty man had Sejanus made himself bymeans of those wicked arts he used to insinuate into the favour of Tiberius But he only contriv'd to himself a hasty ruine * Sejanus ducitur unco Spectandus gaudent omnes quae labra quis illi Vultus erat Juvenal Sat. 10. being tumbled down from his greatness and exposed to the scorn and insults of that multitude which once Ador'd him Thus doth Divine Providence frequently mainifest the detestation it hath for a worldly Policy Thus doth the Almighty shew how easy it is with him to frustrate the tokens of liars and to make Diviners made 〈◊〉 turn wise men backward and to make their knowledge foolish I● 44. 25. Secondly the following of Good being the true way of safety the sense of what it thus is should rouze us up to a just diligence in securing to our selves so excellent a Preservative It should make us very careful to walk in that Path where no evil can befal us ●xamine your selves and consider well the state of your own hearts review the path which you have been hitherto in and the ends that you have pursued And as far as you discover errour and miscarriage resolve upon a reformation Study well the nature of Good and get a right notion of the several branches of it Consider what you ought to do upon every emergency what in such circumstances and upon such occasions you ow to your Creatour and what to your fellow-Creatures what you ow to that Church into which you have been baptized and wherein you hope to be saved Be acquainted with the Obligations that lie upon you in the several relations in which you stand both as men and as Christians Consider I say and study these things well for 't is you have seen a business of importance the true policy of a Christian the art of safety And having found out what is good resolve to do it with thy might Let no false shews of wisdom deceive yo● No threatnings or reproaches discourage you no temptation draw you aside Set up such a stedfast and immoveable purpose as this is In the way that is now before me I am sure is my duty and my duty being there I am as sure my interest is too From this let the event as to the present appearance look never so discouraging no seeming advantage shall ever divert me No carnal consideration shall ever disswade me No I will not be so cheated away from the defences and protection of innocense I will not so embrace a shadow and lose the substance Thirdly and lastly The following of Good being the best security against Evils let us faithfully rely on it in a day of fears and troubles When the clonds seeem to gather over our heads and the increasing blackness portends a tempest when things begin to run into Confusion then fly to the support of a good Conscience and cast all your care upon him who careth for you Tho' difficulties are on this side and dangers on that the Sea before and the Egyptians behind Tho' the perplexities appear inextricable and you cannot see through the disorder yet expect delivery from him who is able to give it stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord. Take up on such occasions the Assurance of the Psalmist and say my soul wait thou only upon P● 62 5. God for my expectation is from him He only is my rock and my salvation he is my defence I shall not be moved In God is my salvation and my glory the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God And be ready to comfort others with the words he there adds Trust in him at all times ye People pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us Indeed tho' I am not for troubling the minds of any with groundless terrours I cannot but say that the present face of things is not very promising God who hath so often deliver'd this Church and Nation seems still to hold the rod over us and to threaten us with some strokes of his Vengeance Tho' we have been lately freed of our fears from abroad there is still Ground of fear at home We have sins the fatal Causes and divisions the fatal Instruments of R●●ne Tho' we expect no Fleets and Armies to come and overthrow us It is visible that there are Papists and Dissent●●● 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 men of 〈◊〉 differing Religio●s and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion 〈◊〉 all in a kind of 〈◊〉 against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 down 〈◊〉 strong 〈◊〉 of our Sion to level it with the dust and 〈◊〉 it i● Confusion And now do Why let us do these two things Being Stedfast in our Duty let 〈◊〉 age our selves with the in times past and let us fly unto him 〈◊〉 to save us for the time to come 1 Let us encourage our selves with the remembrance of God's gracious 〈◊〉 t●mes past Let us consi●●● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord hath done at seasons of great extremity and 〈◊〉 into the several methods of 〈◊〉 and deli●●rance How it is that he 〈◊〉 formerly 〈◊〉 Chosen and sav'd his Inheritance Let us consider that the ways of divine Mercy and Redemption have been often such as no human Eye could foresee that God hath deliver●d his Servants in the midst of Multitudes that have perish'd that they have been distinguish'd by safety in Overthrow and have stood unhurt in a general Ruine Let us consider that God makes the sufferings of a few the advantage of themselves and many more And let us consider that it is the Wisdom of Providence in ways that are 〈◊〉 understanding to bring light out of 〈◊〉 and good out of Evil. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fly ●●to him who is able to save us for the time to come Let us fall down on our knees before the throne of grace and put up our requests unto him who is thus mighty to deliver Tho' it be a short one we cannot have a better Form than the Collect which our Church hath appointed for this day with which I shall conclude Grant O Lord we beseech thee that the course of this world may be so peaceably order'd by thy Governance that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS ERRATA Page 5. line 10. read Sermon p. 6. l. 18. 1. 〈◊〉 p. 〈◊〉 l. 〈◊〉 Novation l. 14. 〈◊〉 ● Postlimi●●o ib. l. 17. ● 〈◊〉 ib. l. 20. r. quae p. 22. l. 〈◊〉 after few ● Indifferent p. 23. ● 3. for Reproach●● 〈◊〉

●am soli penitus Sustulerunt cum postlim●io reducere conaremur nobis hactenus obstiterunt Calvin in Epist ad Card. Sadol Quod Si nu●c Anglicanae Ecclesiae instaturat●●e Suorum Episcoporum Archi Episcoporum Auctoritate 〈◊〉 perstant Quemadmodum hoc illi nostra memoria contigit ut ejus Ordinis homines non tantum insignes Dei Martyres sed etiam Praestantissimos Pastores ac Doctores habuerit fruatur Sane ●sta Singulari Dei beneficientia qu●● 〈◊〉 ●it Illi perpetua Beza ad Tract de ministr Ev. grad ad Had. Sarav c. 18. instead of recommending it to others were ready at first to make Apologies for it themselves as an Expedient they were forced upon even against their own Inclination Being willing if it had been possible for them to retain what was justified by the unquestionable practice of the purest Ages Should any Society of Christians undertake to change the Observation of the Lord's-Day from the first to the third or fourth or any other of the Week the boldness of such an attempt would doubtless be very Severely censured unless the Men were able to plead that it was not matter of choice but the effect of some very great Necessity Now I verily believe that the presumption is in no sort less of wilfully throwing down Episcopacy to fill the Room of it with some new Contrivance Has the Lord's Day Sufficient Discimus quidem ex hoc loco non ●am fuisse tunc aequalitatem inter Ecclesiae Ministros quin u●us aliquis Autorirate consilio prae esset Calvin Com. in Tit 1. 5. Warrant from Holy Scripture so has that Form of Church-Government Is the one confirm'd by the undoubted Practice of the Catholick Church in all Ages so is the other also Indeed the mischief of Innovation appears to me much greater in the Case of Bishops than it could be in that of the Lord's-Day Were we obliged by some new Law to meet together upon another day of the week and not the first there would be only the change of a Circumstance of Worship which was of Divine Institution But should the Order of Bishops be Overthrown to make room for those Teachers who are so much offended at it there is too much Reason to conclude that somewhat essentially necessary at least to the well-being of the Church would then be wanting The Authority of them who were Ambassadors 〈◊〉 Christ and had the Ministery of Reconciliation hath been undoubtedly conveigh'd down by a Succession of Bishops in the Christian Church And putting aside that Succession I should be glad to learn a way how any Person can justly pretend a Commission to transact with the People the great Business of their Souls and speak to them in the Name of the Lord. Another thing which I shall not scruple to mention as a matter of importance wherein we differ from the Dissenters is an Excellent Liturgy We of the Church of England do publickly Worship God by the use of known Forms compil'd at first with much care and study by the Glorious Martyrs of our Reformation and abundantly approv'd since by the best the wisest and most learned Men Whereas on the other hand the Dissenters in their Meeting-Houses do only offer up unto the most High such a service as the Premeditation Or perhaps the present Invention of their several Preachers shall be able to furnish This certainly is a considerable difference and that the advantage is much on our side must needs be very plain to any unprejudiced Person Putting aside the regard we ought to have for the Authority and example of our Lord Christ who both taught and commanded his Mat. 6. 9. Ezke 11. 2. Disciples to make use of a Form when they pray'd Not considering the undoubted practice both of the Jewish and the Christian Church which is manifestly for us yea particularly the practice of those Churches a nearer resemblence to which some men express so great a value for calling them the best Reformed I say Omitting all these Considerations which would strongly conclude for a preference to Publick Forms above the Compositions or Ex-tempore-Effusions of private Persons I would venture to appeal in this matter to the Common Sense even of any Judicious Dissenters themselves who would but Seriously think upon it Such Persons cannot but say that the Liturgy of the Church of England was contriv'd by men of Considerable Abilities for such a work the fame of their great Learning and Sincerity being unquestionable in the World And can they who are so diligent to find out somewhat to Scruple at in this Liturgy imagine that every Preacher in a Conventicle is qualified to frame a better and more acceptable Service Yea can such Preachers be suppos●d able to do this anew once or twice every Week and that as many of them seem willing to have it understood without thinking before hand on the words they are to utter Were the Ex-tempore-Prayers of some of the most eminent for that faculty but put in Writing that so they might be duly Examin'd as some passages of that kind were not See Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence long since in a Neighbouring Kingdom It might perhaps then abundantly appear that they who are so fond of such performances have the least reason of any in the World to criticize on the Prayers of Our Church and censure the defects of them But a Liturgy may Some say would be a tolerable thing were it of a different Make from that of the Church of England Wherein several of those Forms are to be met with which are still of Use amongst the Papists And this now some People look upon as a terrible Objection against the Book of Common-Prayer Whereas You well know Sir that 't is rather a considerable Proof of it's Excellency We have in it the Lords Prayer the Apostles Creed the Gloria Patri Te Deum and some other Forms of Prayer Thanksgiving and Confession of Faith which the Romanists make Use of But then our agreement with them in these instances is because besides the Corruptions they have added they still retain many Things which are pure and primitive The business of those Excellent Men who framed our Liturgy was not to make a new Religion but to reform the Old Whence as a most learned Forreigner has observ'd Passim variae a va●iis Reformationis Autoribus conditae praescriptae ●unt S. Liturgiae formulae simplic●s purae in Germania Gallia Anglia Scotia Belgio c. quam minimum ●ieri 〈◊〉 ab antiquis formulis Primitivae Ecclesiae abscedentes Ludovicus Capellus Thes Salm. Th. de Li●●●g par 3. Th. 6. the first Authors of the Reformation not only in England but also in Germany France Scotland the Netherlands c. prescrib'd Forms of publick Prayer differing as little as possible from the Ancient Forms of the Primitive Church And indeed we begin every Day to be more and more convinced of the great Wisdom and