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
A95348	Theophosoi [sic] theophiloi: God's fearers are God's favourites, or, An encouragement to fear God in the worst times delivered in several sermons / by ... Nath. Tucker ...	Tucker, Nath.; Kentish, Richard.; Whitfield, Thomas.	1662 (1662)	Wing T3209A; ESTC R42917	82,402	157

Reasons taken from God The second sort respect Men And that 1. Our selves and then 2. Others 1. Our selves And this I shall branch forth into two particulars 1. By cleaving or sticking close unto God in corrupt times we shall approve our selves 1. to be holy Christians 2. to be zealous Christians First we shall make it appear that we are holy Christians that we are men and women fearing God Jam. 1.27 saith the Apostle there Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To keep himself unspotted from the world When we keep our selves unspotted of the world and escape untainted of it 't is an argument that our Religion is a pure Religion a pure life especially in impure times argues a holy faith it signifieth that the mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience We never answer Religion better then when we keep our way undefiled 1 Cor. 11.19 There must saith the Apostle be errours also among you there must be errours in doctrine and errours in practice corruption in judgement and corruption in life but why 't is because they which are approved may be made manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek is metaphorical a Metaphor borrowed from allowance of Coyn Silver which by the Goldsmiths trial is found good is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. allowed good and currant Evil and corrupt times are discriminating and distinguishing times then men and women shew themselves what they are whether counterfeit or currant professors 'T is then easie for men to judge of themselves and for others to judge of them Read Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world There must be a perverse and graceless generation a viperous brood in the midst of whom Gods Saints must shine as lamps in the world that so they may approve themselves blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke holding forth the Word of life when 't is most opposed and opprest by the sons of Belial This now I say is the property of a man that truly fears God he cannot blow hot and cold as we use to say he dares not swear by God and Malchom he will not hide the Truth in indifferency he knows that God must be worshipped truly without halting and totally without halving That is the first thing But then 2. As by cleaving unto God his Truth and Service in the worst times we shall approve our selves to be holy Christians so likewise shall we make it appear that we are zealous Christians sollicitously minding that high holy Name of God whereby we are called Thus the holy Apostles standing before the Council manifested themselves to be men enflamed with fervent zeal toward the honour of God Acts 4.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard we cannot do otherwise we are necessitated unto it being like vessels that when they are fill'd and stopt up must either vent or break without remedy We may see this likewise in Paul that precious man when once he become a chosen vessel to the Lord Christ to bear his Name never was he so mad before in havocking those that called upon that Name in all places as he was now fierce and fiery against all that did any thing contrary to the Name of Jesus Paul declares himself to be a zealous Christian and so shall we if we hold fast and close to God in loose and licentious times Thus much likewise of the second sort of Reasons taken from our selves The last sort of Reasons respect others and they shall be likewise two the first concern the Godly the second the Wicked 1. Hereby good men shall be much confirmed and comforted I mean by our holding out in bad times this is very effectual for the setling strengthning and establishing of the hands that hang down and the feeble knees which it may be otherwise would warp and turn out of the way Whiles we cease not to speak with these in my text often one to another we build up one another in our most holy faith Phil. 1.14 saith the Apostle there And many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear Pray mark it they waxed confident by my bonds By the Apostles constancie to and perseverance in the Truth in evil and persecuting times the Gospel took deeper rooting and impression in the hearts of many of the Pastors of the Church they were so far from being discouraged by the Apostles bonds as that they grew bolder then they were before and durst more freely to preach and to profess the Gospel If you look into the Acts and Monuments you shall finde what abundance of confirmation the godly of those times received by their fellow-brethrens constancie in the Truth Well might Tertullian say Constantiae Martyrum irrigatur augetur Ecclesia i.e. The Church was enlarged through the constancie of the Martyrs Many instances of it might be given were it necessary so to do But in the last place Gods servants must be best in worst times because hereby as good men shall be confirmed so wicked men shall be convinced and even confounded that not only in the last great and general Judgement but in this present world also A full proof whereof you have in those two mighty yet wicked Monarchs in Daniel Nebuchadnezzar and Darius How was Nebuchadnezzar appaled and even confounded when he saw the high resolution and courage of those three Worthies Shadrach Meshach Abednego in changing the Kings word and yielding their bodies to be burnt rather then worship a strange god Dan. 3 28. there you may finde it How was Darius amuzed and amazed when Daniel by the strength of his faith had stopt the mouthes of the lions after he had stood it out stoutly to the face of his adversaries How did the innocencie and piety of these godly men triumph in the consciences of those two Tyrants making them afraid and compelling them to vote the same way that they had before persecuted yea and to proclaim that God for the onely true God whom yet they had no minde to set up for their own God Dan. 3.29 saith N. buchadnezzar there I make a decree that every people nation and language which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghill because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort And Dan. 6.25 26. saith Darius I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and stedfast for ever and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even unto the

vale of Siddim slimy and slippery full of Lime-pits and pitfals snares stumbling-blocks laid on purpose to maim and to mischief our souls But now he that truly fears God comes off without great hurt he keepeth his heart with all diligence he watcheth the very thoughts and motions of his heart he will not suffer vain thoughts to lodge there but labours to wash it from all filthiness that so he may perfect holiness in the fear of God This fear of God weeds hypocrisie out of the heart pride arrogancie and every secret way of iniquity Job was a man fearing God and therefore he durst not once to think lustfully upon a maid this was that which made him to refrain contemplative wickedness Job 31.1 And then 3. As this holy fear of God cleanseth the Head and the Heart so it cleanseth the Hands too it keeps the Life and Conversation pure Prov. 3.7 saith Solomon there Fear the Lord and depart from evil The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil that Beloved is the definition of the fear of God Eschewing of evil is not onely put as an effect of the fear of God as when 't is said of Job Chap. 1.1 that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil but it is put I say in the very definition it self of the fear of God 't is the nature of this fear of God to depart from evil not onely from habitual and inward but likewise from outward and practical evil from publike as well as from private and secret evil See what Jehoshaphat saith in his charge unto his Judges when they were going their Circuit 2 Chron. 19.7 Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts q. d. This fear of God if it be upon you if it be radicated and rooted in your hearts will teach you to forbear Bribery and iniquity with your hands It was the fear of God Beloved that reined in Joseph from condescending to the wicked motion of his wanton Mistress though he might have committed that folly and the world have been never the wiser I can proceed no further at present in the tryal of this holy fear of God Examine your selves by what hath been said If with those godly ones here in my Text you are men and women truly fearing the Lord then this fear of God hath had this cleansing influence upon you and hath cleansed your Heads Hearts and Hands Secondly As this holy fear of God cleanseth the Head Heart and Hand from sin so doth it no less frame the heart to the doing of duty and that 1. towards God 2. towards men For as you heard before the fear of God is a very extensive and comprehensive grace it includes the whole duty of man not onely his Negative duty what he ought not to do but his Positive duty too what he ought to do In the first place then this holy fear of God frames the heart to the performance of its duty towards God And here I shall instance onely in two duties 1. It perswades the heart to believe God and his Word The Scripture noteth this expresly of the Patriarch Noah Heb. 11.7 By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark c. Moved with fear what is that i. e. with a reverent fear of that God that spake unto him Noah's heart being touched with the true fear of God believed God even in those things which were not as yet seen he believed those forewarnings of God concerning the judgment he purposed to bring upon the world and accordingly prepared an Ark whereby he saved his houshold and condemned the wicked world Thus the Israclites possest with this filial fear believed God and his servant Moses You may see this clearly Ezod 14.31 And the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses Pray observe it well the people feared the Lord c. As Faith may be and is the ground of holy Fear so holy Fear may sometimes draw forth acts of Faith it will make a man tremble as much at the Threats of his Word as at the Strokes of his Hand And then 2. As it frames the heart to a believing of God and his Word so likewise to an obeying of God and his Word the holy obedience of his revealed will Psal 103.17 18. saith David there But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto childrens children to such as keep his covenant and to those that remember his commandments to do them He describes you see them that fear God to be such as keep his Covenant and remember his Commandments to do them A soul truly fearing God is afraid to disobey God his heart with David's will stand in awe of Gods Word And hence 't is that in Scripture sometimes you finde the fearing of God and keeping of his Commandments sometimes fearing God and working righteousness joyned together The former you may see Psal 119.63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts Of them that fear thee and keep thy precepts a man cannot fear God but he must observe his precepts So again Eccles 12.13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man The connexion of these two shews us that the fear of God is a principle of obedience they that fear him will keep his commandments yea they do so in an Evangelical way though they cannot attain unto yet they wish well to exact and accurate obedience The later you shall finde Acts 10.35 But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him A man fearing God will be active and doing he will be working righteousness and that which is good And thus have you briefly heard to what particular duties this Fear frames the heart towards God I am to shew you in the next place how and in what duties it draws the heart in reference to Man The Fear of God hath a double bond in it a bond of Obedience to God and a bond of Love to Men. Well then in the first place the true fear of God is ever joyned with love unto our brethren The Apostle puts so much of Religion or of the fear of God for they are both one in the love to our brethren as that in one place he makes it all Religion yea the very definition of the fear of God Jam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherless in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world This is Religion and pure Religion i.e. This is a great branch and part of Religion 't is a