Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	good_a	seed_n	sow_v	1,957	5	9.8778	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14172	Amendment of life three sermons, vpon Actes 2. verses 37. 38. conteining the true effect of the worde of God, in the conuersion of the godly: and the maner how it changeth their harts, and reformeth their liues, which is the true vvorke of regeneration. By Iohn Vdall, preacher of the worde of God, at Kingstone vpon Thames.	Udall, John, 1560?-1592.	1584 (1584)	STC 24489; ESTC S102078	40,987	110

AMENDMENT of life THREE SERMONS VPON ACTES 2. VERSES 37. 38. CONTEINING the true effect of the worde of God in the conuersion of the godly and the maner how it changeth their harts and reformeth their liues which is the true vvorke of regeneration By IOHN VDALL Preacher of the worde of God at Kingstone vpon Thames IOHN 3. 3. Except a man be borne againe he can not see the kingdome of God AT LONDON Imprinted for Thomas Man W. B. and N. L. 1584. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE CHARLES LORD HOVVARD BARON OF EFFINGAM Lord Chamberlaine of the Queenes Maiesties most honorable houshold Of the moste noble Order of the Garter Knight and one of her Maiesties moste Honorable Priuie Counsell IOHN VDALL wisheth continuall encrease in all vertue godlines AS there is no field be it neuer so wel tilled and be the seede neuer so good that is sowne in the same but weedes will of their owne accorde spring therin and without the diligent care of the husband-man choake the good seede and deceiue the owner of the expected fruit of his former labour so there hath neuer since the world began right honorable bene any church so pure without corruption that hath not had many blemishes in the same the which without the great mercie of God and prouident care of the gouernours thereof both hath and doeth to the ende of the world will so growe and encrease that they will neuer staye vntill they haue brought to passe the vtter subuersion and ouerthrow of religion there professed for if we beginne with the Church of the Iewes not onely the first visible established church but also the image and picture of the Church of God for euer and consider what corruptions haue crept into the same howe they haue increased from time to time often preuailed against the sincere worship of God to the vtter ouerthrow of true religion and strengthening of idolatrie it is so manifest in the bookes of Moses Kings and the Prophets that either we must refer the consideration thereof to those places or els which is needeles make a whole volume of the discourse of the same We see the same practize in the Primitiue Church euen in the time of the Apostles that both corruption of doctrine and also loosenes in conuersation did greatly infect that age The which is euident in the times following and euen vntill this day that the true doctrine of the Gospel hath bene most blasphemously peruerted and godlesnesse in life so rooted into the heart of man that the number of true Christians hath euer bene a small poore and contemned flocke And in truth we neede goe no further than to these present times wherein we liue in which because thorough the great mercy of our good and gracious God the seedes of Popishe tares can take no such roote as Satan wisheth we may behold and to the great griefe of Christian hartes too plainely see how greatly Atheisme and vngodlines preuaileth that it is a hard matter euen in this bright sunne shine of the Gospell of Iesus Christ to finde many of them that together with puritie of religion doe studie to keepe a sincere and vpright conscience in their life For religion now adayes is made a cloake to hide sinne a myst to bleere the eyes of the world a den for transgressors and a cage for all vncleane birds in the world All which springeth hence that Satan can perswade men that if they professe themselues to be Gospellers and make shew of religion it is not onely sufficient because no man shall be saued by his works but also it shall bring them into more credite and estimation in the world thereby to growe greater which bringeth forth these three most pernicious and daungerous euills among men first that the Papists who measure all things by the outward shew are not onely kept from listening to the truth but also more hardened in their blind superstition Secondly that the glorie of the highe and mightie God which should shine in our liues by the Gospell is trampled vnder feete Lastly that their owne soules and bodies are in a most daungerous estate being driuen by the prouocation of the deuil headlong into the pit of condemnation whereinto so many as with out repentance runne on to the ende must needes fall at length feeling the torments increased vnto them that for laying stumbling blocks in the way to ouerthrow others and defacing the glory of the great God and proceeding in satisfieng their owne appetite with sinne they haue most iustly deserued The consideration of which mischiefe moued certaine godly and well disposed persons who were by the prouidence of God eare witnesses of a discourse that it pleased the Lord to strēgthen me to vtter in my ordinary course vpon the Acts of the Apostles earnestly to intreate me that I woulde penne the same for their further comfort which good godly motion of theirs for that it proceeded I doubt not from an earnest desire in them of spirituall edification I condiscended vnto And because it hath pleased God to make me by speciall dutie bound vnto your Honor I therefore haue made especiall choice of the same wherevnto these my simple small labours might be dedicated most humbly beseeching your honor that as it is the summe and substance of all the religion taught and professed in this poore Towne of Kingston so it would please your L. to accept therof not according to the quantitie that is but small nor expecting the inticing words of mans wisedome which is most vnfit for the Gospell of Christ but according to the substance of the thing and the mind of the poore labourer So shall your Honor bind me which notwithstanding is my duetie with the rest of them that feare God among vs to pray continually vnto the father of our Lord Iesus Christ for you that it woulde please him so to direct guide and blesse all your enterprises as may best tende to the glorie of his most blessed name the benefit of his Church and this common weale and the eternal euerlasting comfort of your owne soule Your Honors most humble to commaund in the Lord Iesus Christ. IOHN VDALL Three Sermons of the amendment of life Acts. 2. verse 37. 38. Now when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts and said vnto Peter and the other Apostles men and brethren what shall we doe Then Peter said vnto them Amend your liues WHen our Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promise has sēt dawn y ● holy ghost into the hearts of his discipls which was so effectual in them that they who were vnlearned spake with diuers languages the Iewes and straungers of diuers countreyes gathered togither to sée that straunge wonder and some admired it as the wonderfull worke of God others mocked them affirming them to be droncke wherevpon Peter stoode vp making an Apologie for himselfe and the rest first deliuering them from that lying slaunder of dronkennes

the weake that finde themselues willing and yet vnperfect in the seruice of God for God doth accept of vs according to that we are and not according to that we are not The least sparkes of obedience insomuch as they be his owne worke are accepted in his sight so that it be w t earnest endeuour to encrease and therefore this giueth no libertie to licentious loosenesse which notwithstanding we sée to presume herevpon for say the Atheistes who can kéepe Gods commandements is any man without sinne and so forth Which in déede is true but they by occasion thereof haue no regard nor care of any reformation but runne on from sin to sinne and that with gréedines But let such knowe that they can not please the deuill better with any thing in the world because hereby they be as like him as if they were spitted out of his mouth for he knoweth that no man can absolutely obey Gods lawes and therefore he prowleth to mocke them in euery point to breake them and thou sayst thou canst not obey him perfectly and therefore art carelesse to doe any good at all Wherein doest thou now differ from him But let vs haue a care to winne ground of our aduersary to obtaine more and more strength against sinne make it weaker in vs euery day than other by continuall meditation in the worde of God and prayer for his grace to fructifie therein then we shall shew our selues valiant souldiers and not dastards in the quarrell of our Lorde and Captaine Iesus Christ. Now follow the ende that we are to ayme at in this fight against our selues to liue godly which is duely to be considered for Satan hath gone thus farre with a number either to perswade them without al doubting of the matter that they shall merit heauen and deserue to be Gods children by their workes or els that they néede to doe none at all and we sée euen the greatest number put the one of these in practise for either they be obstinate and blind Papistes forgetting Christ Iesus and hoping to come to heauen by their works or els they be Atheists affirming plainly that if they deserue nothing for them they will doe no good works From which fountaine floweth this generall securitie where with all the world is so rocked on sléepe that euery man séeketh for him selfe neuer thinking that he is any way bounde to benefite his poore and needye brother Whereby as in many other things we may behold the vsuall practize of Satan either to make vs lye wallowing in all carelesnes or els to driue vs too farre into the con trary extremitie Which thing we are to haue a great care of euen in euery thing that we do that we may kéepe within the bounds of that meane prescribed by the Lord in his word from which it is not lawfull to decline neither to the right hand nor to the left least Satan ouertake vs and worke our confusion The endes wherevnto by the word of God we are to haue regard and respect be in number thrée First Gods glorie 2. Our owne comfort 3. The good of our brethren among whome we liue The glorie of God which is the first ende is to be sought in our good and godly conuersation for it is euident that we are by nature vnfit to doe any good thing but rather prone and bent to sinne but when it pleaseth God so to alter and reforme our harts that the frute thereof shineth in our conuersation this sheweth the great glory of God in that he of seruants vnto sinne and vncleannes maketh vs to serue him in godlines The which thing our Sauiour Christ ment when he sayd let your light so shine before men that they may sée your good workes and glorifie your heauenly father which is in heauen Where vnto also the Apostle S. Peter had especiall regard when he sayd Déerely beloued I beséech you as straungers and pilgrims absteine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule and haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of you as euill doers may by your good workes which they shall sée glorifie God in the daye of visitation Unto which ende S. Paule had respect also when he exhorting the Thessalonians to godlines sayth that y ● name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you The which poynt is duely to be obserued for our instruction because that now a dayes all men will say they doe loue God and honour him but their bare wordes must not goe for proofe for we sée the holy ghost setteth downe that the glorifieng of God by vs consisteth in godly conuersation for if thou sayst neuer so much thou louest God and doest honour him vnlesse it shine in thy conuersation it is a lye in thée and a thing not to be beléeued of others For our Sauiour saith If any loue me he wil kéepe my sayings so that the tryall standeth in this looke howe carefull thou art to reforme thy life according to the word of God and looke howe much thou hast subdued the heate of thine owne affections and so much thou doest glorifie God and no further Nay if thou béest slacke herein carelesse to doe that in déede wherof thou makest profession thou doest euen as much as lyeth in thée dishonour God and therfore sayth S. Paule thou that gloriest in the law thorough breaking of the law dishonorest God I would to God that the carnall professors and enemies to sinceritie of these our dayes both in them selues and others could consider of this with a single eye For those that be enemies to reformation be commonly loose in life as we sée in our owne experience If it were so I doubt not but their conuersation would be found euen of thē selues most vile and filthy not worthy once to be named among them that professe the gospell of Iesus Christ. The second ende which we are to looke vnto is for the establishment and comfort of our owne soules and consciences For we sée that all men are contented to make a shewe of religion and to take vpon them y ● profession of Christ which can not be sufficient for then should all or at least the greatest number be saued yet we know the words of our Sauiour Christ that narrowe is the way that leadeth to life and fewe doe walke therein Then what shall we doe to examine our selues vnfeynedly to sée whether we are of the number of them or no S. Peter shall tel vs most notably what we must doe Flye sayth he the corruption which is in y e world through lust Therefore giue euen all diligence therevnto ioyne moreouer vertue with your faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlines and with godlines brotherly kindnes and with brotherly kindnes loue for if these things be among you and doe