Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	john_n	light_n	shine_v	3,435	5	9.5724	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12363	The lavviers question The answere to the lawiers question. The censure of Christ vpon the answere. By Henry Smith.	Smith, Henry, 1550?-1591.	1595 (1595)	STC 22679; ESTC S103005	28,698	73

people thinke that the doctrine is true when they that preach it liue not thereafter Will not the people reason thus If his doctrine were good surely hee would follow it If his life be good surely he would teach vs to liue as he dooth Therefore whatsoeuer he saith wee will not beleeue him but as hee dooth so will we do and we hope to scape aswell as he Thus with the one hand they builde vp the Church of God and with the other hand they pull it downe because they doo more hurt by their bad example than they can doo good with all their preaching These are the vngodly that the Lorde by his Prophet reprooueth Psalme 50. VVhy dooest thou preach my lawes and take my wordes c. So long as Esay was a man of polluted lippes the office of preaching was not committed vnto him but when his lippes were cleansed Esay 6. then was he fitte for that office and function Euen so as long as we delight in sinne as much as any wee are not meete to reprooue the sinnes of other but when wee behaue our selues as it becommeth the ministers of the Gospell then haue wee commission to preach the Gospell and to reprooue the sinnes of the people Therefore to a good Churchman as you vse to call vs two things are necessary the first is to teach well the second is to liue well for as wee are resembled to Salte because wee must season the people with sound and wholesome doctrine so are wee resembled to the Sunne because wee must shine as lightes in the worlde by our holy life As Iohn Baptist was the voice of a cryer so he was a burning Lampe as the Apostles were willed to teache and baptise so their lights were commaunded to shine that men seeing their good workes might glorifie God Thirdly we here may see that truth is truth and to bee commended from whomsoeuer it cōmeth for though this Lawier came to tempt Christ yet because he told the trueth Christ admitteth his answere and commends him for it Whereby we haue to learne to embrace and receiue the trueth by whomsoeuer it is brought for as a iewell is to bee esteemed though it be found in a stinking dunghill so the trueth is to be regarded though it bee found in a wicked man And last of all we heere may see that to be verified which was spoken of Christ Esa. 42. Mat. 12 A brused reed shall he not breake c. that is he shall not discourage any in the way of godlinesse Though this Lawyer were Christs enemie yet when he aunswered discreetly and directly out of the word of God Christ approoueth his aunswere and exhorteth him to the practise of the same wherby we haue to learne to commend and encourage euery man in his well dooing and by all meanes to further them in their good beginnings Praise and honor are spurres to vertue therefore if a man haue done well commend him and he will do better but alas with vs it is farre otherwise for if a man haue done amisse it shall bee often cast in his teeth but if he haue done well he shall neuer heare of it But let vs go forward in the aunswer of Christ It followeth do this Hauing approoued his saying now hee exhorteth him vnto dooing for it is not enough to say well or to knowe much or to beleeue aright but wee must doo this that is we must loue God and our neighbour if we desire to liue Heauen is not gotten with faire wordes nor amorous lookes nor golde nor siluer nor gorgeous aray but with the fruites of a liuely saith or that I may vse the words of the Apostle Gal. 5.6 By faith working through loue God will not come to iudge vs at the last day whether we were learned or wise or eloquent or wealthy or honourable but whether we haue done those deeds of mercy to his needy members What shall it profit a man in the last houre of his death to haue beene eloquent and excellent in all kinde of learning that he hath preached many notable and worthy sermons if he haue liued a lewde and wicked life and caried a corrupt conscience to his graue In that terrible day when the bookes of all mens consciences shall be opened Apocal. 20. and euerie mans life shall be strictly examined it shall goe better with vs if wee haue serued God with a good conscience then if we haue beene able to dispute subtile questions for at that day it shall be said to some that haue preached in the name of Christ Depart from me I know yee not Mat. 7. Now as we shall not be saued for our preaching no more shall you be saued for your hearing for God will haue you to do as you heare aswell as he will haue vs to do as we teach if you looke into all the scriptures you shall finde no promise made to hearers nor to speakers nor to readers but to beleeuers or to dooers If yee aske God who shall dwell in his holy mountaine he saith Psal. 15. The man that walketh vprightly If you aske Christ who shall enter into the kingdome of heauen he saith Matth. 7. Not they that cry Lord Lord but they which doo the will of my father If you aske him how you may come to heauen he saith Mat. 19. Keepe the commandements If you aske him who are blessed he saith Luc. 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and doo it If you aske an Angell who is blessed he saith Reu. 22. Blessed are they which keepe the words of this booke If you aske Dauid he saith Psalm 106. The man is blessed which keepeth iudgement and dooth righteousnesse If you aske Salomon he saith Prou. 29. The man is blessed which keepeth the Lawe If you aske Esay he saith Esay 50. He which doth this is blessed If you aske Iames he saith Iam. 1. The dooer of the word shall be blessed in his deed And heere Doo this and thou shalt liue Heere is nothing but dooing to make vs blessed for as the workes that Christ did bare witnesse that hee was Christ Iohn 10. so the workes that we doo must beare witnesse that we are Christians But heere some man may obiect and say Is any man able to doo this that God requireth and if he be not why then dooth God commaund vs that which wee cannot performe Heerein almighty God dealeth with vs as a father dealeth with his children If a man haue a sonne of seauen yeares of age he will furnish him with bow and arrowes and leade him into the fields sets him to shoote at a marke that is twelue score off promising to giue him some goodly thing if hee hit the marke and though the father know that the childe cannot shoote so farre yet will hee haue him aime at a marke beyond his reache thereby to trie the strength and forwardnesse of his childe and though he shoote shorte yet the father will incourage him Euen