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	teach_v	ungodliness_n	2,003	5	11.3372	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26810	Spiritual perfection, unfolded and enforced from 2 Cor. VII, 1 having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God / by William Bates ...	Bates, William, 1625-1699.	1699 (1699)	Wing B1128; ESTC R4307	200,199	485

the vital Members From hence we are inform'd how to judge of our Hopes whether they are saving and will attend us to the Gates of Heaven If they purifie us they will certainly be accomplish'd in Heavenly Blessedness If we be like our Saviour in Grace we shall be like him in Glory But carnal and loose Hopes will issue in disappointment Our Saviour tells us that every visible Christian in a spiritual sense is a builder and raises a fabrick of Hope that may appear fair to the Eye but there is a time of tryal a coming that will discover how firm it is 'T is our Wisdom to descend to the foundation of our Hope that we may understand whether it be a Rock that cannot be shaken or the quick Sand that cannot bear the weight of it Those who hear the Words of Christ and do them build upon a Foundation more stable than the Centre the perfect Veracity of God is engaged in his Promises But those who hear without doing build upon the sinking Sand. Carnal Men will pretend they hope for Salvation only for the infinite Mercies of God and Merits of Christ 'T is true these are Eternal Foundations but to secure a Building the Superstructure must be strongly fasten'd to the Foundation or it cannot resist a Storm If we are not united to Christ by the sanctifying Spirit and a purifying Faith our Hopes will deceive us When Sin has dominion which is certainly discovered by the habitual course of Mens Lives when there is a remanent affection to it in Mens Hearts which is known by their reflections upon past Sins with pleasure and the prospect of future Sins with desire their Hope is like a Spider's web that can bear no stress Hope is subordinate to Faith and Faith is regulated by the Promise Some believe without Hope they are convinc'd of the reality of the Future State of the Eternal Judgment and the consequents of it but are careless and desperate in their wickedness Others hope to be well hereafter without belief of the Gospel Indeed there is none can bear up under despairing Thoughts when they are raging in the Breast He that is absolutely and with consideration hopeless falls upon his own Sword The Tempter deals with Sinners according to their conditions If they are swimming in Prosperity he stupifies Conscience and induces them to be secure if they are sinking in deep Distress he is so skilful in all the arts of aggravation that he plunges them into Despair And both Temptations are fatal but the most perish by fallacious hopes 'T is strange that the greatest number of Professors are more unwilling to suspect the goodness and safety of their condition than to mistake and be deceived for ever But they are so strongly allur'd by worldly Objects that though in their Lives there are the visible marks exclusive of Salvation they are unconcerned They are satisfi'd with carnal vain hopes which are the seed of all Evils committed and the spring of all Evils suffered Hope that should incourage Holiness emboldens Wickedness and that should lead Men to Heaven precipitates them into Hell How great will their fall be from a conceited Heaven into a real Hell Hope of all the Passions is the most calm and quiet but when utterly disappointed in a matter of high concernment 't is most turbulent for the consequent Passions Despair Impatience Sorrow Rage are the cruel tormentors of the Minds of Men. Now what will become of the hope of the Hypocrite when God shall take away his Soul He may feed and cherish it while he lives but in the fatal moment when he dyes his blazing presumption will expire not to be reviv'd for ever But the Righteous has hope in his death The sanctified Spirit inspires and preserves Life in it till 't is consummate in that Blessedness that exceeds all our Desires and excludes all our Fears for ever 2. The Hope of Glory should be a constant and commanding motive to purifie our selves Hope is the great spring of actions in this World it enters into all our designs and mixes with all our endeavours The Husbandman ploughs in all the Frosts and Snows to which he is exposed in hope of a fruitful Harvest The Mariner sails through dangerous Seas often inrag'd with Storms and Tempests and among Rocks and Sands for a hopeful Venture How much more should the Hope of Heaven make us active and ardent in seeking for it considering we have infinitely greater security of obtaining it the Word of God and the Object is above all comparison with the things of this World Here the wisest and most diligent are uncertain to obtain their Ends the trifles which they earnestly expect and are certain after a while to lose them But if we in the first place seek the Kingdom of God we shall certainly obtain it and 't is unforfeitable for ever I will conclude with the efficacy of this Argument declar'd by the Apostle The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation has appeared unto all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live godly righteously and soberly in this present World looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. This will keep us stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. 4. The Fear of God is a Grace of excellent efficacy to perfect Holiness in us 'T is the Apostle's direction perfecting Holiness in the fear of God The Divine Wisdom has annex'd Rewards and Punishments to strengthen the authority of the Law to work upon Hope and Fear which are the secret springs of Humane Actions and for the Honour of his Goodness and Justice that are principally exercised in his Moral Government That Hope may be a powerful motive to do our Duty and Fear a strong bridle to restrain from Sin the reward must exceed all the temptations of Profit or Pleasure or Honour that can accrue by transgressing the Law and the penalty of all the Evils that may be inflicted for obedience to it From hence it is that divine Hope and godly Fear have such a commanding conquering power in the Hearts of true Believers and are so operative in their Lives that they will not neglect their Duty to avoid the greatest Evil nor commit a Sin to obtain the greatest Good The Grace of Fear I have discours'd of in another place and shall be the shorter in the account of its nature and cleansing Vertue here Fear introduces serious Religion preserves and improves it 'T is the Principle of Conversion to God and knocks at the door of the Soul that Divine Love may have admission into it It arises from the conviction of Guilt and the apprehension of Judgment that follows When Paul discoursed of Righteousness and Temperance and Judgment to come Felix trembled The Prisoner with the assistance of Conscience made the Judge tremble This Fear has more torment than reverence According to the greatness and

pardon externally the most provoking Injuries but internally quench all inclinations to revenge now it will require our Noblest Care and most Excellent Endeavours to practice these high Rules If there were an extract of the Corrupt Morals in the Philosophy of the Heathens it would be visible how defective it is to restore Man to his primitive Holiness They were Idolaters not merely by Temptation but by Principle and Resolution it was their Maxim that a Wise Man should Conform to the Worship practis'd in the places where they lived Their Moral Philosophy ascended no higher than to instruct us how to act as Men for it considers in them only Humane Qualities and directs their Actions in a respective order to Natural Felicity To do justly to dye generously to allay the fiery agitations of the Passions that make Men miserable in themselves and vexatious to others is the highest pitch to which this Heathen Philosophy pretends They had some glimmering confus'd Notions of their Duty towards God but like the thin appearance of some Stars in a dark Night without Efficacy But the Gospel reveals our Duty so as it may be clearly known and strongly imprest on us There are various Duties in the compass of a Christians practise and 't is an advantage to have them reduc'd to some comprehensive Heads that may bring them often to our Minds The Apostle gives us the bright sum of our Duty The grace of God that brings salvation hath ●pp●●●'d unto all ●●n teaching us th●● d●nying ungodliness and worldly lusts 〈◊〉 should li●● godly righteously ●nd soberly in the pr●●●●t world There is no Rule more e●●●●●●ve and influential into the Life of a Christian th●● to wal● worthy of God becoming our Relation to him 〈◊〉 ou● Heavenly Father and our Union with his Son as our Spiritual Head and the Supernatural Happiness reveal'd in his Word We are commanded to ●●l● ci●●●mspectly and ●●●ctly not as fools b●● 〈◊〉 wi●● Sometime● there is a particular e●umeration of our Duties Finally brethren whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are j●s● whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good r●port if ther● be any vertue any praise think on these things From what has been said of the Obligation of the Evangelical Rule 't is evident how destructive the Doctrine of the Church of Rome is that many things prescribed in the Gospel are Counsels of Perfection not Universal Laws A Doctrine fatally fruitful of many pernicious Consequences of Spiritual Pride the poison of the Soul They depress the Divine Law while they Assert a more Excellent Holiness in uncommanded Works and they exceed the rule in matters of Supererogation It induces slothfulness for they securely allow themselves in the neglect of their duty and not only contradict the Gospel in their Practises but supplant it in their Principles And as they relax our obligation to the Precepts of the Law so by other Doctrines they release Men from the fear of the Sanction and Penalty for the Doctrine of Purgatory takes away the fear of Hell and the Doctrine of Indulgences the fear of Purgatory 2. The Gospel propounds to us Examples of Perfection to raise us to the best heighth 1. We are Commanded to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect There are some Attributes of God that are not the Object of our Desires and Imitation but of our highest Reverence and Veneration Such are his Eternity Immensity Omnipotence Immutability There are other Attributes his Moral Perfections that are imitable Holiness Goodness Justice Truth which are purely and fully declar'd in his Law and visibly in the Works of Providence This Command as was before explain'd is to be understood not of an equality but resemblance He is Essentially Transcendently and Unchangeably Holy the Original of Holiness in understanding Creatures There is a greater disproportion between the Holiness of God and the unspotted Holiness of the Angels than between the Celerity of the motion of the Sun in the Heavens and the slow motion of the shadow upon the Dial that is regulated by it It should be our utmost Aim our most earnest Endeavour to imitate the Divine Perfection As Wax is to the S●al so is the Spirit of Man to his End the same Characters are ingraved in it The Soul is God-like when the principal leading Powers the Understanding and Will are influenc'd by him The Heathen Deities were distinguished by their Vices Intemperance Impurity and Cruelty and their Idolaters sin●d boldly under their Patronage The true God commands us to be holy as God is holy to be followers of him as dear Children For Love produces desires and endeavours of likeness 2. The Life of Christ is a Globe of Precepts a Model of Perfection set before us for our imitation This in some respect is more proportionable to us for in him were united the Perfections of God with the Infirmities of a Man He was h●ly harmless und●filed and separate from Sinners His Purity was absolute and every Graoe in the most Divine degree was express'd in his Actions His Life and Death were a compounded Miracle of Obedience to God and Love to Men. Whatever his Father order'd him to undertake or undergo he entirely consented to He willingly took on him the form of a Servant 't was not put upon him by compulsion In his Life Humility towards Men infinite descen●s below him Self-denial Zeal for the Honour of God ardent Desires for the Salvation and Welfare of Men were as visible as the Flame discovers Fire In his Sufferings Obedience and Sacrifice were united The willingness of his Spirit was victorious over the repugnance of the Natural Will in the Garden Not my Will but thine be done was his un●lterable choice His Patience was i●●●perable to all Injuries He was betrayed by a Disciple for a vile Price and a Mu●therer was preferr'd before him He was scorn'd as a false Prophet as a feigned King and deceitful S●viour He was spit on scourg'd crown'd with Thorns and crucified and in the heigth of his Sufferings never express'd a spark of Anger against his Enemies nor the least degree of Impatience that might lessen the value of his Obedience Now consider it was one principal Reason of his Obedience to instruct and oblige us to conform to his Pattern the certain and constant Rule of our Duty We may not securely follow the best Saints who sometimes through Ignorance and Infirmity deviate from the narrow way but our Saviour is the Way the Truth and the Life What he said after his wa●hing the Disciples Feet an Action wherein there was such an admirable mixture of Humility and Love that 't is not possible to conceive which excell'd for they were both in the highest Perfection I have given you an Example that what I have done to you so do you is applicable to all the kinds of Vertues and Graces exhibited in his Practice He instructs us to do by his Doings and to suffer by

Flesh is like the flower of the Grass so despicably mean and fading A Family that is distinguish'd by an illustrious Lineage if not qualified with internal vertuous Dispositions becoming their Extraction is of no value but in the vain fancies of Men But the Relation to God as our Father confers an Honour substantial and durable in comparison whereof all the magnificent Titles in this World are but Shadows and Smoak and Dreams We are in a state of Union with the incarnate Son of God and in that respect dignified above the Angles for their Lord is our Brother We are made partakers of the Life and Likeness of God and Heirs of his Kingdom This Dignity is truly divine and of more value than Soveraignty over the Principalities and Powers of Darkness Our Saviour speaks to his Disciples In this rejoice not that Spirits are subject to you but rather rejoice that your names are written in Heaven 2. The Happiness of this Relation will appear in the Priviledges that are consequent and comprehensive of all Blessings 1. The title of a Son has annex'd to it the promise of the Pardon of Sin This is declar'd by God himself I will spare them as a Father spares his Son that serves him There are spots in the best of God's Children 'T is equally impossible there should be absolutely pure Vertues in the state of Grace as unmixed Elements in the state of Nature But our Frailties lamented and striven against rather move his Compassion than severe Displeasure Sins of a heinous Nature presumptuously committed retracted by Repentance are not excepted from his pardoning Mercy Of this there is the most comfortable assurance in David's case For after his complicated Sin when he was melted in Tears of Contrition God sealed his Pardon and sent the notice of it by Nathan the Prophet God was so entirely reconcil'd to him that after his Death he gave this Testimony of him That David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his Life except in the matter of Uriah He would not name that Sin of so high a Provocation The Pardon of Sin is attended with all the most excellent Blessings the testimonies of his Favour Guilt seals the fountain and stops the current of Mercies it exposes us to the Terrors of the Lord. If Sin be pardon'd Peace of Conscience is a Rain-bow of Tranquility in the storms of outward Evils If Guilt be not abolish'd a Sinner in the most shining Prosperity has fearful darkness within 2. This Relation gives us an adoptive freedom and joyful access to God in Prayer God upon his Throne of Glory or his Throne of Judgment strikes us with Terror but upon the Throne of Grace as our Father invites our Addresses The Apostle incourages us to come with boldness to the Throne of Grace or Grace upon the Throne dispensing Grace and Mercy in time of need We stand in need of Mercy to pardon and Grace to preserve us from Sin of Counsel and Comfort in our various Exigencies and our Heavenly Father is able and ready to grant our Requests 'T is the Law of Heaven that Blessings are to be obtained by Prayer for that is the homage due to God's eternal Greatness 't is the acknowledgment of his All-sufficiency that he can supply all our Wants satisfie our Desires allay our Sorrows subdue our Fears 't is the glorifying his Mercy that inclines him to relieve the miserable and unworthy of his Benefits The whole Trinity affords incouragement to our Faith in humble Prayer The Mercy of the Father who receives them the Merits of the Son who presents them and the assistance of the Holy Spirit who indites them If we come jealous as Strangers or fearful as Slaves and not with a Filial freedom and relyance we disparage his Love and Power A regular trust of Benignity in the giver and distant from all presumption of Merits in the receiver is very honourable to God and beneficial to us Our Saviour confirms our Hope by a powerful Argument If you that are evil know how to give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him The deduction is with convincing force and evidence If the Natural Love of a Father be so deeply planted in his Heart that 't is prodigious if any deny necessary support to their Children can you suspect that God will not supply the wants of his Children An Earthly Parent may be unnatural or unable to relieve a Child but in our Heavenly Father Love and Power are truly infinite The stedfast belief of this is the soveraign Cure of piercing Cares the great Composer of our distracted Passions 'T is the Apostle's Counsel Be in nothing careful but let your requests be made known with thanksgiving and the Peace of God that passes understanding shall keep your hearts There is no Blessing so great no Evil so small but we may pray in Faith to God to bestow the one and remove the other Unvaluable Priviledge He protects them from Dangers relieves them in their Troubles and releases them out of Troubles His Eye is intent upon the Righteous his Ear is open and inclined to hear their cry his Hand is as ready as powerful to deliver them from Death David saith I have set the Lord always before me He is at my right-hand I shall not be moved In all his Combats God appear'd as his second When his Dangers were extream the sorrows of Death incompassed him he dispatches a Prayer to Heaven for speedy relief and God appear'd in Arms for his defence I shall add for our Direction and Comfort that the Love and Providence of God is often as visible to the inlightned Mind in denying some Petitions of his Children as in granting others Sometimes they play for temporal things unbecoming their alliance with God and their interest in his special Favour 'T is recorded of that Wise Theban Epaminondas that when a Friend greatly in his Esteem requested his Favour to release a mean Fellow imprisoned for a Crime he denyed him and afterward released him at the desire of a despicable Person and gave this Reason That was not a Favour in proportion to the Dignity of Pelopidas but suitable to the Quality of the other Petitioner Thus the Children of this World who believe no other Happiness but the enjoyment of temporal things sometimes obtain their Desires but the Children of Light are not heard in their Prayers for them they being unsuitable to their Heavenly Dignity and not the sure signs of God's Favour Sometimes by mistakes they pray for things prejudicial to their Salvation and it would be a severe Judgment if God should bestow them We read of the possess'd Person in the Gospel that the evil Spirit made use of his Tongue to request our Saviour that he would not torment him that is not expel him