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
B06039	A sermon preached at Great Yarmouth, June 6th. By R.S., M.A. and rector of [illegible] in the county of Norfolk.	Scamler, Robert, b. 1653 or 4.	1677 (1677)	Wing S807B; ESTC R183256	44,829	80

For what can be a more Popular Argument to use for the seduction of soft-minded and weakly-principled Protestants and to draw them off from us than to extol and magnifie the perfect unity of their Church and to lament and pity the sad distractions and divisions of ours For though men of reading and consideration can easily disprove them and prove it a Church by far less at unity then our own yet still this Argument may be forcible with them who have not leisure and opportunity to come to know so much of them but they daily observe men endeavouring to rend our Church in pieces and cut it into little bits and mammocks Nevertheless I will not flatter my self that those who believe nothing but what themselves speak or own will consent to the Doctrine of this TRUTH to wit That they who pretend an inbred aversion to Popery and exclaim most against Rome are most instrumental in procuring our Slavery unto that see For they are generally so wedded to their Erroneous Opinions that none can behold the beauty and glory of an Object but those who borrow their Eyes to contemplate withal Nay had I not begg'd your Lordships Protection for who dare avow if a Person so honourable will be pleas'd to countenance I could have expected no better than my usual Entertainment the worst of their spleen and malice For if we will not stile Humour Conscience and Novelty Religion if we have not the precise Cut and walk in their Exact Geometrical Saintship or form of Godliness they presently conclude us scandalous and ungodly But let our Opinions and Judgements concentre with their Dictamens and then the Wind is presently turn'd for they will judge more candidly of our actions by blaming the infirmity of the Flesh and weakness of humane Nature for Actions of shame and debauchery because the construction of our Deeds must differ equally with those of our Principles Nay further they will wrest them with the same Licence they mis-interpret the Scriptures to make them speak according to their Sense and Opinion From such Persons I foretell an indifferent usage unless your Lordship favour what otherwise they will certainly disaffect which after your Lordships Pardon for the dedication of these Discourses so unworthy your Patronage is the Humble Request of Your Honours most faithfully devoted Servant R. Scamler THE STATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS Psalm 34.19 Great or many are the Troubles of the Righteous but the Lord will deliver him out of all WHEN the World was in its Cradle and Religion in her Swadling Clouts The Wisdom of Heaven thought it convenient to educate the tender years of Infant-Piety with the alluring hopes of a temporal Prosperity to prompt and encourage men to a ready entertainment of her Services For had Religion in her tender years appear'd with an austere look and morose behaviour she must of necessity have had fewer admirers of her Beauty Least therefore she should meet but with a slender respect and mean entertainment she came into the World with a mild aspect and for her dowry had all the advantages of a temporal felicity entituled upon her followers which was the state of her first manifestation or making her self known to the World But when she was grown somewhat elder and of a more strong constitution God desisted from courting men by the hopes of her portion of splendid preferments and goodly heritages that they might be enamoured of her Beauty and not of the Appendants that he might see whether it was out of pure and undefiled love to Religion or out of affection to the World which made them to comply with the observance of his Laws upon which account he did then command them to renounce the World and all their hopes therein that they should no longer live by sense but Faith that they must expect to be encountred with sorrows and afflictions calamities and crosses if they would be reputed his children and lead a vertuous and godly life And this is that condition of the Righteous Holy David describeth in the text where looking on the miseries they suffer he seemeth to cry Great are the troubles of the Righteous respecting the Promise he seemeth to sing the Lord will deliver them out of all Both which make our lives fitly compar'd to a Musick-book where we shall seldom observe many white notes but they art intermixed with black and both together compose the sweetest harmony God set's us our lesson in a little book it contains no more then two pages one stiled consolation the other dissolution 't is necessary for both to take their turns In the day of prosperity remember thy self of adversity In the day of adversity comfort thy self with the hopes of prosperity For the divine providence mingles our life as one would Wine and Water in the same Cup Some drink the purest others the most compound but all taste a commixtion for great are the troubles c. This Psalm the sweet Singer of Israel compos'd after he had chang'd his Behaviour and feigned himself mad in the Court of Abimelech his deadly enemy which dissimulation proved a means for happy deliverance from that imminent peril which otherwise had most infallibly proved fatal He therefore no sooner saw the net broken and himself escaped as a Bird from the hand of the Fowler but he tunes his instrument and falls a warbling forth the praises of the Almighty saying verse 1. I will always praise the Lord which may serve as a reproach to them who dayly observe the benigne providence of God in protecting them from those perils and dangers which are obvious to all amidst the changes and chances of this mortal life yet seldom or never send up their praises to him from whence cometh their help Nay they will scarce be brought to acknowledge 't is the hand of the Lord which hath brought such mighty things to pass But Holy David here thinks it too mean a performance for none but himself to sing the marvelous kindness of the Lord he therefore entreats others to bear a part with him in this consort of thanksgiving saying Oh magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together v. 3. But alas Men think they exceed in their duty if when Heav'n hath been concerned in procuring a deliverance they cry out with the Pharisee Lord I thank thee and conceit it too troublesome and tedious a service to be always telling forth his loving kindess unto others Our Psalmist therefore to prompt and encourage them to this holy duty and to incite them to piety reckons up a Catalogue of the many privileges of the Righteous How that their crys will pierce beyond the Clouds and sound in the ears of God for they are open to their complaint how that he is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Yea let never so many sorrows and afflictions oppress the Righteous yet still in his appointed time