Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
world_n deny_v live_v ungodliness_n 2,303 5 11.2667 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A58178 Serious and seasonable advice to the English soldiers of His Majesty's army Ray, John, 1627-1705. 1693 (1693) Wing R403; ESTC R26215 12,888 52

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

Serious Advice TO THE ARMY LAMBETH-HOUSE March 20 th 1692 3 This Serious and Seasonable Advice to the English Soldiers of His Majesties Army sent to me by a Reverend Divine in the Countrey I do not only allow to be Printed but do also earnestly recommend it to those for whose sake it was composed as that which I hope may by the blessing of God be of great use to them JO. CANT Serious and Seasonable ADVICE TO THE ENGLISH SOLDIERS OF His Majesty's Army LONDON Printed for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill and Will. Rogers at the Sun over-against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet M DC XC III. Serious and Seasonable ADVICE TO THE English Soldiers c. Gentlemen A Military Employment when it is undertaken with a good intention begun and carried on for honest ends and purposes hath been generally thought not only lawful and barely innocent but highly useful and commendable likewise And since the common Safety of Europe as well as the necessary Defence and Preservation of that Church and Nation to which you belong is the Cause for which you are now engaged you will not so much want a Casuist to state the Lawfulness of your Profession as you seem to stand in need of some Christian Monitor to put you in mind how you ought to behave your selves in it The Calling of a Soldier is doubtless very well consistent with that of a Christian and altho the Armour which the Gospel recommends is of a Spiritual nature and such as we are all required to put on and employ in our Defence against our Spiritual Enemies yet we no where find that either our Blessed Saviour or any of his Apostles did ever condemn the use of Secular Arms and Carnal Weapons as absolutely unlawful Nor indeed can it be reasonably imagined but that Christians as well as other men may be innocently allowed to provide the best they can both for their Personal and for the Publick Safety The truth is that which hath brought so ill an opinion upon a Military Profession is the looseness of Manners and Unchristian Conversation of too many of those who are employ'd in it And 't is the scandalous Example of some amongst you which hath brought so ill a report upon the Character of a Soldier in the general For the undiscerning part of mankind which is generally the greatest part of it is too apt to judge of a Profession according to the Lives and Conversations of its Professors And because they observe so much Impiety and Injustice so much Prophaneness and Irreligion in the Behaviour of some Soldiers they are from thence unhappily prejudiced with an ill opinion of All. Now the best and only way to vindicate the Credit and Reputation of a Military Life from all Prejudices of this kind is to remove that unhappy occasion from whence they proceed and if instead of distinguishing your selves from the rest of mankind by your Vices you would be more careful to behave your selves as becometh Christians if instead of Blaspheming God with so many horrid Oaths and Curses you would learn to Reverence and Adore him and ascribe him the honour due unto his Name if instead of that Riot and Intemperance that Injustice and Uncharitableness which so much abounds amongst you you would be more mindful of those pressing Obligations which your Religion teacheth you of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and of living soberly righteously and godly in this present world your Profession would then be entertained with much more Respect in the world The Character of a Soldier would then appear in its true Lustre and be as highly honoured amongst men as it is indeed most deservedly Honourable in it self The Character which St. Luke gives of Cornelius Acts 10. is a Pattern very worthy your imitation upon this account and this out of a sincere intention for the Good of your Souls for the Honour of your Profession and for the happy Success of your Arms I heartily recommend to be transcribed by you He was a Roman Soldier and altho by Birth and Education a Heathen Idolater yet being happily posted amongst the Jews at Caesarea he there attained to the knowledge of the True God and afterwards became a most eminent Convert to the Christian Faith From whence 't is easie to imagine how profitably he employed his vacant hours and what great advantage he made of the Place and the Persons amongst whom he convers'd for although we have no particular account given us of his behaviour till the time of his Conversion yet 't is highly probable that he never spent his time idly and unprofitably or what is much worse prophanely and irreligiously but that he was always meditating upon and considering his latter end and carefully projecting with himself how he might secure an Interest in the Favour and Protection of that God in whom are the Issues of Life and Death and before whose dreadful Tribunal he was to give a solemn and severe Account He wisely consider'd how hazardous and uncertain the Life of a Soldier is above all other men and this Consideration naturally led his thoughts to a nearer Prospect of a Future State He well knew That it was appointed for all men once to dye and that to dare to dye with a more than ordinary Courage and Resolution was what became the Bravery of a Good Soldier but because after this life ended there was a Judgment to come when every one that hath done good shall go into life everlasting and every one that hath done evil into everlasting Fire he thought the consideration hereof a matter of the highest importance to him imaginable and was easily convinc'd how much he was obliged not only in point of Duty but in point of Wisdom and Interest likewise to make the best provision he could for a happy Portion in this his Immortal and Eternal State How discreetly he behaved himself and what prudent care he took of his life and conversation in order hereunto is evident from the account which the Evangelist gives of him who says that he was a devout man one that feared God and prayed unto him continually He did not it seems suppose that his Military Employment for the service of his Prince could give him any the least dispensation from his Duty to his God He did not think that to Curse and Swear and Blaspheme and bluster out his prophane and daring Impieties against the Supreme Judge of Heaven and Earth was one necessary Qualification of his Profession No 't is plain that he believed the Character of a Religious and Devout man was very well reconcilable with that of a Good Soldier And he hath left these as Maxims of Eternal Truth to be transcribed from his Example That the best Courage doth always proceed from the best Conscience And that no man is so well qualified to appear Fearless and Undaunted before the face of an Enemy as he who walketh in the Fear of the Lord and