Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	pure_a	religion_n	undefiled_a	1,985	5	11.7434	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27360	A sermon preached at the funeral of M. Anthony Hinton late treasurer of St. Bartholomews Hospital on the 15th of November, 1678, at St. Sepulchres Church / by William Bell.	Bell, William, 1626-1683.	1679 (1679)	Wing B1811; ESTC R24054	16,767	41

those that may be absent as toward him that cannot and that in all Conditions when he hides his face as when he shines on our Tabernacle It s Piety is not strong only when we are weak and then languishing when we recover Is not puffed up by prosperity nor cast down by adversity as Boats that rise with the Floud and sink with the Ebb. Its mouth is not full of murmuring whe uempty of bread Phil. iv 11. but in all estates hath learned to be content Can tend on the Ark when its Manna is gone and nothing left but the Rod and the Law when banished as well as when it gratifies the flesh-hook Can be devout at Mesech and Kedar as in the goings and solemn Procession of the Sanctuary Good Barzillai was as faithful a Subject to David when hunted on the Mountains as when he went to be Crown'd at Hebron A good Conscience neither flatters the rich nor oppresseth the poor takes not the opportunity of a Friend's distress to insult or to betray to stand aloof from the sore or only to pour Vinegar into it by sharp upbraidings or uncharitable conclusions but where it cannot be a Shield to prevent a wound is ever ready with Balm to heal it not trampling on a Prostrate whether Friend or Enemy but is equally prompt to do good and to forgive evil James i. 27. Pure and undefiled Religion the Religion of a Conscience so qualified too visits the Fatherless and the Widow with a visit like that of Christ Luke i. 68. visits to redeem and as the same Christ too keeps it self unspotted of the world It throws no dirt and 't is hard to do it with clean hands nor doth any thrown at it stick on it but is soon wiped off by undisturbed Innocence And this all this is Fourthly and lastly The whole employ of a good Conscience as wherein it doth exercise it self as the word signifies prepares for the Combat bends all its wit and force to it is First Diligent to the utmost of its power striving to excell others and our selves That those things be in us and abound If it be possible and as much as in us lies to have peace with God and man with all men And this is more than a meer bending our tongues and wits to holiness and righteousness not a speaking great things but living them .. And though God sometimes takes the will for the deed it is there only where there is no ability to perform 2 Cor. viii 12. Thus Love may fulfil the whole Law in a hearty disposition to all obedience where the Act is not feazible Davids desire to keep Gods Commandments Psal cxix 4 5. goes for the deed 't was exercise when he did but strive in Prayer after that perfection which is not here attainable Yet a meer present wishing we might do God's will can no more secure us from Hell than a future wishing we had done it can deliver us out of it It is not a setting our faces toward Zion that will bring us thither when like Weathercocks the next wind of a Temptation alters our aspect and we are still where we were Mat. xxv 15 c. Two Talents improved to four have in Heaven a proportionable reward with the five that were made ten But the lazy Well-willers Talent that rusted in the Napkin had that rust as a swift witness against him before that God who expects his own with usury We have the knowledge of his Commandments and they are not grievous The Dictates of his Spirit the Assistances of our own Consciences the Examples of his Son and Servants the Encouragement of all his Promises which makes our service as profitable as it is reasonable And if herewith we faithfully do what we can he will mercifully accept of what we do And herein we must be as diligent so Secondly Prudent too to strive lawfully as well as earnestly to have light with our heat and that light is in the essentials of Religion the Word of God and we are not to vary from the Pattern in the Mount To the Law and to the Testimony Isa viii 20. if they speak not according to this it is because there is no truth in them They oblige our Faith in all the Articles of our several Creeds 2 Tim. i. 13. those forms of sound words founded in Scripture Our obedience in worshipping God by Prayer and Praise by hearing and receiving his Sacraments revering his Name avoiding Polytheism Atheism Idolatry Blasphemy honouring our Superiours not invading the Life Chastity Estate or Reputation of our Neighbour Which Laws are a Moral and perpetual rule to all our Intentions Expressions and Actions and with these neither men nor our own Consciences can dispense And our trial at the last day will be not meerly by our Consciences but as they have been guided by that Word Since Conscience like Fame may be as tenacious of a lie as of a truth may condemn where God acquits or acquit where God condemns He must touch the Needle to make it point right which else will vary as we know Conscience hath done to all the Points in the Compass We rightly set our Watches by the Dial when we are assured the Dial is well set by the Sun In things Civil the rule is right Reason we expect not a Law out of Scripture for every minute action of Life We try a Circle not by a Square but by a Compass The Law of the Land where it speaks is the common Conscience which ought to guide us in all things that are not apparently opposite to the Divine Law The Church is a Vineyard and is in the State as in it's Fence without which it would not be long a Vineyard Hos i. 9. Israel was Loammi that is not a People when without the true God a teaching Priest and Law when the Pillars are dissolved the People melt 2 Chron. xv 3. By undermining our Superiours we Sap our own foundations and while we pluck flowers from the Crown to weave Garlands for our selves the success is to see both droop and wither together Did we rightly understand things we should acknowledge it our liberty to be subject the very worst of Governments being better than none Law is the Mound of Property and without that enclosure every man would turn all his Lusts like Beasts without stint into the Common Now the Law is but a dead letter it 's life is it's execution and it 's best execution is in our active obedience It is not indifferent to the Law or the Lawgiver whether we do or suffer as it is in By-laws of Corporations whether we fine or serve Justice would be all Sword if it did not only consist in the mulcting or punishing our Persons or our Purses It is from our corruptions that Penal Statutes are inflicted as well as enacted Would we be a Law to our selves we should not need so many from our