Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	gain_v	lose_v	profit_v	2,452	5	9.3078	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95855	The way to true happinesse, or, the way to heaven open'd. In a sermon before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, Jan. 28. 1654/5 / By Ralph Venning.	Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.	1655 (1655)	Wing V232; Thomason E830_8; ESTC R207438	31,836	56

THE WAY TO TRUE HAPPINESSE Or the WAY TO HEAVEN Open'd In a SERMON before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the CITY of LONDON Jan. 28. 1654 5 By RALPH VENNING GAL. 6.15 16. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature and as many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God LONDON Printed by T. R. and E. M. for John Rothwel at the Fountain and Bear in Goldsmiths Row in Cheap-side 1655. PACKE Mayor Tuesday Jan. 30. 1654. ORdered that Master Venning be desired from this Court to print as fully as he can his SERMON at Pauls on the last Lords day SADLER To the Right Honourable CHRISTOPHER PACKE LORD MAYOR And the Right Worshipful the ALDERMEN of the CITY OF London Honourable and Honoured THat I print this Sermon and that I print it more largely then I preach't it is in obedience to your Order which having resolved a former scruple of mine will warrant me for so doing without making any further Apologie though I hope that the Readers advantage also will be the more That my preaching then was not and that my speech now is not with the enticing words of mans wisdom but I hope in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and Power The reason is that your faith should not stand in the wisdome of words but in the words of wisdome or as the Apostle phraseth it not in the wisdom of men but in the Power of God and that the heavenly treasure might not taste of the earthen vessel Certainly there was never more need then in our dayes of preaching and pressing that of our blessed Saviour Labour not or work not for the meat which perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life and if any say to me as they to him What shall we do that we may work the Work of God I refer them to the ensuing Discourse for their Answer Concerning which I only desire that the Scriptures may be search't which do abundantly witnesse thereunto To the Law and to the Testimony if it speak not according to that rule there is no light in it but if it appear as I beleeve it will to be the voice of God and not of man I hope none will quarrel with it lest they be found fighters against God and why should we provoke the Lord to jealousie unlesse we were stronger then he Solomon tells us that of making and reading many books there is no end and when we have read if at least we could read all that are made this will be the Conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole we reade it duty the meaning is the whole content and Happinesse of man this is all that 's profitable to man it being opposed to all the rest under the Sun which is but vanity and vexation of spirit and verily we may as well finde ease in hell as finde Happinesse any other way and that we shall know however we judge now when as he saith God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil How much then doth it concern us to look about us and to work out our salvation with feare and trembling here lest then we feare and tremble because we had not done it Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men as they love their salvation and as they will answer it at the great and terrible day of the righteous judgement of God that they abstain from fleshly lusts which war against their soules that they leane not to their own understanding nor walk in the wayes of their heart and in the desire of their eyes but that they consider to know and do what is the good and acceptable Will of God that they may be found without blame and that when he shall appear ye may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Watch therefore for you know not what houre your Lord doth come but if any servant say in his heart My Lord delayeth his coming and shall beat the servants and eat and drink with the drunken the Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looks not for him and at an houre when he is not aware and will cut him in sunder he will cut him off and appoint him his portion with unbelievers and that servant which knew his Lords Will and prepared not neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many stripes I hope none will say as he that had a book brought him which treated of Happinesse I am not at leisure What not at leisure to minde thy soule and thy Happinesse are the world and sin such excellent pieces are they so lovely that thou shouldest set thine heart upon them Oh why wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not 't is not what it seems to be 't is not that which thou lackest nay 't is not that which thou thinkest 't is 't will prove the greatest cheat that can be and though thou gain the whole world what will it profit if thou lose thy soul Well you see the world tottering and tumbling about your eares the fashion of it the lustre thereof doth And Oh that therefore the lust thereof did passe away We are also making haste to our grave if they be not taken from us yet we shall be taken from them and who knows only God knows hovv soon To day then let us hear and obey the voice of God that vvhen the Lord cometh he may finde us so doing as to say unto us Well done good and faithful servants enter ye into your Masters joy Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome That this may be your portion and the portion of them that heard it and of them that read it is the hearty Prayer of him who is 12th Moneth or Febr. 20. 1654. Honourable and Honoured Ingaged and willing as he is able to serve you RALPH VENNING THE WAY TO TRUE HAPPINESSE Discovered From the words of our Blessed SAVIOVR MAT. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven THough there is nothing more natural to man then to seek after happinesse yet there is nothing that the nature of man is lesse able to finde out then his happinesse Mans hungring desire to attain happinesse is not abated though his ability for the attainment thereof as of and by himselfe be quite lost Since he did eat the forbidden fruit that is since he sinned ever since he was banished from the well-watered Garden of God he poor man hath wandered up and down like a fugitiye and a vagabond in the land of Nod seeking rest in dry places but findeth none Alas how is poor silly man bewildred in