Selected quad for the lemma: father_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
father_n	holy_a	son_n	work_n	20,729	5	6.2497	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29247	Apostolick charity, its nature and excellence consider'd in a discourse upon Dan. 12. 3, preached at St. Pauls, Decemb. 19, 1697 at the ordination of some Protestant missionaries to be sent into the plantations : to which is prefixt, A general view of the English colonies in America, with respect to religion : in order to shew what provision is wanting for the propagation of Christianity in those parts / by Thomas Bray, D. D.	Bray, Thomas, 1658-1730.	1698 (1698)	Wing B4285; ESTC R6508	16,290	44

which we profess even in those Colonies of English Men from whence the whole Kingdom has been so much Enrich'd as well the Gentleman by the Advance of his Rents as the Merchant by the Increase of his Stores and the Mechanick by the Vending of his Manufactures is truly an amasing as well as a melancholy Consideration to such as have any true Love to God or the Souls of Men. But alas how few are there amongst us who do in the least reflect upon or at all value the inestimable Advantages which above the rest of the World they enjoy by being Christians It is now an indifferent thing with many what Religion Mankind is of so that according to those Men the Son of God did in vain descend from Heaven and that grand Dispensation of the Gospel and that Mystery of our Redemption the Wisdom and Goodness of which the Blessed Angels do with Admiration adore was to little purpose and might have been as well spar'd for that the Heathens are in as good a Condition as we Nay Christ Crucify'd is now become as well as formerly to some a Stumbling-Block to many Foolishness even the Subject of their Ridicule and Raillery And these cannot but be look'd upon as Ominous presages of some heavy Judgments upon us for as an ingenious Person doth singularly well observe Whenever a Country loses that Reverence that is due to Religion and the Laws we may safely pronounce that its Ruine is not very distant And as Contempt of Religion and the Laws is a sure mark of a declining Nation so new Colonies and Societies of Men must soon fall to pieces Disc of the Trade of Eng. Part II. p. 265. and dwindle to nothing unless their Governours and Magistrates interpose to season betimes the Minds of such a new People with a sence of Religion and with good and vertuous Principles These are Sentiments I know quite different from the Politicks of some Men But those who heartily believe God and his Providence are firmly perswaded that the Happiness and Well-being of any People does advance or decline in proportion to the Supports that are given and the Regards that are paid to True Religion And I must with Gratitude acknowledge that some such I have met with in the Prosecution of this Design which I have engaged in for the Plantations or else the Expence as well as the Fateigue had been wholly insupportable But as what has been hitherto done does but let me into the View of so much more which is still wanting to Propagate and Maintain Christianity in those Parts so after that my Expectations of a more Publick Provision for this great Work have fail'd me I must again renew my Applications to such Pious Persons who have a just Value of the Worth of their own and others Souls And if the following Discourse upon the Nature and Excellency of this kind of Charity above all others shall contribute any thing to promote the Design I shall obtain an End to accomplish which I could be content to sacrifice my Life with the Remainder of my small Fortunes and those worthy Persons will doubtless find it upon their Accompt when to be found a good Steward to the Honour and Glory of God of the Talents which He has given will afford them those superlative Degrees of Joy which are beyond the Imagination of us here below to conceive and which therefore the following Discourse does not pretend so much as to shadow DAN XII 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and they that turn many to Righteousness as the Stars for ever and ever THIS and the two preceding Verses are a Prophecy of the future State of the Church at the two great Advents of our Saviour to it In the first Verse is foretold what dreadful Distresses and Difficulties it should struggle with In the second and third are declar'd what inexpressible Rewards will Crown the Labours of Christ's Faithful Servants especially of those who have been Instrumental in the Instruction and Conversion of Mankind They that be wise or Teachers or Instructers as some render it shall shine as the c. In my Enlargement upon which Words I shall do these four things First I will shew you what is meant by turning many to Righteousness Secondly Who they are that have whose Duty yet it is and who may still be said to turn many to Righteousness Thirdly That it will be found one Day the highest pitch of Wisdom to have been Instrumental in this blessed Work Because Fourthly and Lastly Such shall be the most gloriously Rewarded It is they that shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and as the Stars for ever and ever And First I will shew what is meant by turning many to Righteousness Now Righteousness in the strictest sence of the Word does denote only one Vertue amongst the whole Train of Christian Graces namely Justice and Equity betwixt Man and Man But in its more comprehensive Acceptation and so it is generally to be understood throughout the Scriptures it does import no less than the whole of that Religion which will render us accepted by God and in which if we be found when we come to die God will pass a favourable Sentence upon us at the Day of Judgment And such a Righteousness as it is now fixt and stated under the Gospel consists in this that in the first place we Renounce the Devil and all his Works that is abandon the Service of that Arch-Rebel the Devil and detest and forsake all his Works of Sin He having himself most ungratefully Revolted from God has not only carry'd whole Legions of fallen Angels into a cursed Rebellion against their Creator but has drawn off the far greatest part of Mankind into the same wicked Apostacy with himself insomuch that divide the whole Earth into thirty Parts it is computed by skilful Geographers that nineteen of it are Inhabited by Idolaters that is Men ignorant of the true God and in effect worshippers of Devils Not to say what Idolatrous and other destructive Heresies he has brought into Christendom it self and even in those Churches of Christ where God is best known the Christian Faith the best understood and Christianity profess'd in its greatest Purity It is a sorrowful Consideration how much the Works of the Devil Magick Sorcery Lying Perjury Uncleanness Murder Rapine and Violence and indeed all manner of Wickedness are confidently and openly committed and avow'd And now a most considerable part of that Righteousness we are here upon consists in this That we abandon the wicked Party of Satan's Adherents either Foreign or Domestick and that being listed in the Service of the true God Father Son and Holy Ghost we give up our selves to his Government and Obedience And this is that so material a part of Righteousness call'd Repentance from dead Works Heb. vi 1. A second part of this Righteousness is Faith that is the Knowledge and