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
A43344	A discourse concerning meekness and quietness of spirit to which is added, A sermon on Acts 28. 22, shewing that the Christian religion is not a sect, and yet that it is every where spoken against / by Matthew Henry ...	Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714.; Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714. Sermon on Acts XXVII, 22.; Howe, John, 1630-1705.	1699 (1699)	Wing H1475_PARTIAL; Wing H1476_PARTIAL; ESTC R14901	132,581	220

Ornament I have been recommending to you is confessedly excellent and lovely will you put it on and wear it that by this all Men may know that you are Christ's Disciples and you may be found among the Sheep on the right Hand at the great day when Christs Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom every thing that offends Every one will give Meekness a good Word but in this as in other instances Probitus laudatur alget Love is commended by all and yet the Love of many waxeth cold But let all that would not be self-condemned practise what they praise And as there is nothing in which I should more expect to prevail so there is nothing in which it will easier appear whether I have prevailed or no this Tree will soon be known by its Fruits So many are the Passages of almost every day which call for the exercise of this Grace that our profiting therein will quickly appear to our selves and to all with whom we converse Our Meekness and Quietness is more obvious and falls more directly under a Trial and Observation than our Love to God and our Faith in Christ and other Graces the exercise whereof lies more immediately between God and our own Souls Shall we therefore set our selves to manifest in all our C●●●iage and Converse that we have indeed gotten good by this plain Discourse that our Relations and Neighbours and all that we have Dealings with may observe a Change in us for the better and may take Knowledge of us that we have been with Iesus and let not the Impressions hereof ever wear off but living and dying let us be found among the Quiet in the Land We all wish to see quiet Familes and quiet Churches and quiet Neighbourhoods and quiet Nations and it will be so if there be quiet Hearts and not otherwise FINIS A SERMON On Acts XXVIIJ 22. Shewing That the CHRISTIAN RELIGION Is not a SECT And yet that it is Every where Spoken against By MATTHEW HENRY Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for and Sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside M DC XCIX Christianity no Sect to be spoken against ACTS 28. 22. For as concerning this Sect we know that every where it is spoken against WOULD you think that such a spiteful scornful Word as this should ever be said of the Christian Religion That pure Religion and undefiled which came into the World supported by the strongest Evidences of Truth and recommended by the most endearing Allurements of Grace and Goodness The sayings whereof are so faithful and so well worthy of all acceptation That Sacred Institution which scatters the brightest Rays of Divine Light and Love that ever were darted from Heaven to Earth That 's it which is here so invidiously call'd a Sect and is said to be every where spoken against It will be worth while to observe 1. Who they were that said this they were the chief of the Iews that were at Rome ver 17. The Iews were look'd upon at least they look'd upon themselves as a very knowing People The Iews at Rome a place of Learning and Enquiry thought themselves more knowing than the other Jews St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans chap. 17. 2. 20. takes notice of it Thou art called a 〈◊〉 and makest thy boast of God and knowest his Will and art confident that thou thy self art a Guide of the Blind a Light of them which are in Darkness c. And we have reason to suppose that the Chief of the Jews there who had the greatest Advantages of Education and Correspondence were the most intelligent It might also be justly expected that upon the first notices of the Gospel the Iews should have been of all People most ready to acquaint themselves with a Religion which was so much the Honour and Perfection of their own And yet it seems the Iews the chief of the Jews at Rome knew no more of Christianity but this that it was a Sect every where spoken against This we know said they and it was all they knew concerning it The Iews were of all other the most bitter and inveterate Enemies to the Christians while the Roman Emperors tolerated them as they did till Nero's time the Iews with an unwearied Malice persecuted them from City to City and were the first Wheel in most of the Opposition that the Gospel met with when it was first Preached Now one would think they would not have been so vigorous and industrious to suppress Christianity if they had not very well acquainted themselves with it and known it to deserve such opposition But it seems by this they knew little or nothing of the Religion they so much mal●gned had never search'd into the Merits of its Cause no● weigh'd the Proofs of its Divine Authority but against all Law and Reason condemn'd it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Iustin 〈◊〉 complains purely upon common Fame and follow the cry to run it down because it was 〈◊〉 where spoken against 2. Upon what 〈◊〉 they said this They were now appointing a time to discourse with St. Paul upon the grand Question in debate whether Iesus of Nazar●●● was 〈◊〉 Messiah or no. And they seem'd willing to hear what that great Man had to say 〈◊〉 defence of the Religion he preach'd We desire say they to hear of thee what 〈◊〉 Now one would expect that 〈◊〉 good a Cause managed by such a skilful Advoca●● would not but carry the day and be Victorious and that they would all have been brought over to the belief of Christianity But we find v. 24. that it prov'd otherwise after all there were those that believed not and the Text intimates the reason of their Infidelity they came to hear the word under a Prejudice They had already imbib'd an ill opinion of the way which right or wrong they resolved to hold fast And tho' some of them by the help of Divine Grace got over this stumbling Block that like the Bereans were more Noble than the rest and of freer thought yet many of them continued under the power of those Prejudices and were seal'd up under Unbelief v. 26. 27. Thus is the Power of the Word in many baffled by the Power of Prejudice They do not believe because they are resolved they will not They conclude that no good thing can come out of Nazareth and will not be perswaded to come and see Thus do they prejudge the Cause answering the matter before they bear it and it will pro●e folly and shame to them Now in the Account they here give of their Knowledge of the Christian Religion we may observe 1. That they look'd upon it to be a Sect and we 'll prove that to be f●●lse 2. A Sect every where spoken against and we will grant that to be true that it is generally spoken against tho' t is most unreasonable and unjust it should be so First