Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	discipline_n	doctrine_n	4,176	5	6.2312	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63822	Meditations divine & morall by H.T. ...	Tubbe, Henry, 1617 or 18-1655.	1659 (1659)	Wing T3208; ESTC R3392	40,998	194

future amendment LXXXIV It is some kinde of happinesse to be under restraint The wide world affords many mischiefs of which we are free in a prison A man can hardly go abroad and preserve his own innocence such is the contagious infection of sinne that it spreads it self into our hearts through our eyes we can scarce behold wickedness and be safely honest Conversation is full of danger so that he which enjoys his liberty may want protection Besides security in imprisonment we have the benefit of contemplation The soul can best enlarge her faculties when the body is a close prisoner Then the Spirit will expatiate it selfe when the flesh is confined to a narrow roome The Tower and the Fleet have produced many works which shall prove their Authors famous to posterity who perhaps if they had not bin buried thus alive had died in obscuritie neither their persons or their knowledge had been ever known The light of grace shines forth in the darkest dungeon and we may finde the way to heaven though wanting elbow-room This use we may make of our worst miseries and thus be contented with our discontents LXXXV When wicked men are full of iniquity then God makes empty the vials of his wrath till then his own deare Saints must expect their deliverance The Amorites are reprieved to the fourth generation but judgement comes at last and cannot be resisted great provocations leave us no roome for mercy The voice of blood cries for revenge Fruitful sins growe into punishment When the harvest of folly is ripe then our heavenly Father puts in the sickle of his justice that he may reap to himself glory out of our corruptions Those that use Cart-ropes to draw on vanity deserve to be lashed with a cordy whip When head and heart when hands and feet are imployed in continual mischiefe when all interests are improved and all means used to a sinful end what can be expected but utter confusion A stiff-necked people must be hardly dealt with If sin grow impudent the judge will not be modest or moderate in his anger A brazen forehead may be blasted with iron lungs When sinners never stop but at judgments they must look to be well paid for their paines It is fit that their wages should be answerable to their work There is a day of Recompence wherein every man shall receive his due All accounts must be made even they that have done much shall obtaine more whether of good or evil LXXXVI The greatest mercies are best observed in the depth of misery As a black foyle to a sparkling Diamond such are our afflictions to the goodness of God Though nothing can give addition to his glory yet then his grace appears most graceful to us when set off by the shadow of our miseries Continual prosperity is an oppression to the soul whereas happinesse after suffering fills the heart with active joy If we suffer alwayes our pains cannot be long because life it self is short but a good name which follows it is everlasting The advantage of a faire report after death will swallow up the judgements of our present time the dark mist of our mournful condition cannot obscure the brightness of such a favour if we have but faith enough to apprehend it Gods mercy is more wonderful in deliverance then in preservation Where there is more danger there is more honour The state of Redemption is better then that of innocency Had Adam never fallen Christ had never risen to our justification We that were cut off by sin and death are made lively monuments of rich compassion This is our wonder this is the greatnesse of his good will when we are delivered from the very jaws of destruction then it plainly appears that his mercy is above all his works LXXXVII The Doctrine and discipline of the Church of England is such as was first established by general Councels and Synods and afterwards confirmed by the Lawes of the State Unity and uniformity necessity and order strength and beauty are the ingredients of our religion and who would not love such a wholesom sweet composition They that take a delight to broach new opinions to introduce strange innovations cannot wish well to the peace of our aged mother It may be needful to repaire a breach but 't is neither wisdom nor justice to pull down the frame of an ancient building to make way for an alt●●ation God blesse us from such a reformation that must be advanced in the ruines of a wel-setled Government and constitution LXXXVIII The Schismatick is a creature that abhors the very name of a Counsel or a Synod He cannot endure the weight of an obligation to any Law for he thinks himself advanced in an higher degree of glory then weakly to submit to the tuition of an external government He hath found out a nearer way to heaven then by following the doctrine of the Catholick Church He makes no account of Canonical obedience but as a quality only fit for them that weare the livery and mark of the Beast Subordination to a Superiour power whether civil or Ecclesiastical sounds worse with him then chains or shakels as destructive to the liberty of Saints and the freedom of a Christian fellowship In brief he is such a piece of confusion that he knows not himself what he is and we are extreamly perplexed to think what he may be when he comes in the way of our Meditations LXXXIX A true jeere is a jest in earnest which is worse then down-right railing A smiling cut-throat is the most injurious villain To turn truth into a matter of mirth is to banish all favourable compassion which is the bond of society and friendship An abusive wit is but a sweet poyson which though for the present it affect the taste yet afterwards it infects the heart A generous spirit scorns to solace himself with the disgrace of another I will not triumph in the wounds of an enemy nor insult upon the weaknesse of a friend For the common frailty of our nature is such that we may condemn our selves when we laugh at others XC He is neither wise nor good that will take any advantage of another by way of insultation Revenge may make a Giant of a dwarfe and no man can be so miserable but one time or other he may have happinesse enough to require an injury Every little Bee hath his sting and the least of creatures hath malice enough to right it self Despair will put life into a very coward and he that will suffer much will not suffer always A fury that proceeds from disdain will ruine him that caused it We may neglect an enemy with safety and honour but to contemne him is both dangerous and damnable XCI Nothing puts a man so much out of tune as discontent A little mudd will defile a whole cistern of fair water A fretting spleen like a mist that puts out heavens eye obscures the soul with cloudy fumes and makes the

comfortably use those favours which God and nature have bestowed upon him As I would not overvalue any thing least I be too much affected with grief in the loss so I will learn to know the just price of what I have least my desire of more increase beyond all measure of satisfaction XXXII Those of the ancient Philosophers that were great admirers of Eloquence have propounded the image of an Orator as it were of one who in speaking drew out the golden chaine from his tongue and fastned it to the eares of his Auditors Such vertue and power it hath to hold men to moderate and guide their affections such is the pleasing violence of a few well placed words that our desires seeme to be captivated and bound up to the will of the Speaker Truth indeed is truth though it be plainly delivered Religion can oblige the soul without these glorious bonds yet when the daughter of time and the mother of peace appear in their handsome Robes the heart must be very stubborne and obstinate that will not yeeld it self a willing slave XXXIII There is no designe be it never so wicked but is masked with a pretence of some good for that which is absolutely evil and plainly appears so to be hath no agreement with the will of man and therefore the worst mischiefs are commonly set on foot under a colour and shadow of goodnesse Vice is like a painted strumpet which seems extraordinary faire and comely when perhaps there is rottennesse in the bones as well as deformity in the soul Treachery and mischief have alwayes a pleasing outside whereas vertue for the most part goes plaine and naked Well may that man set himself out that hath nothing lovely within Wickednesse if it be not courtly will never be courted And the gastly visage of sin if it were not covered with an handsome vaile could never tempt men to forsake their own freedome and become the servants of so vile a Mistresse XXXIV I will be kinde and courteous to all but familiar with none but my intimate and equal friends for the love of inferiours often-times degenerates into contemp● Yet I had rather my carriage should savour of too much humility then over-much state for the affections which proceed from popularity are not so dangerous as those passions of feare and envy which alwayes attend the proud I will not think my self too good to look upon any man but I will be sure that he whom I receive into my bosome acquaintance shall be at least as good a man as my selfe XXXV The death of a Martyr is attended with much glory and renown who would not willingly embrace and entertaine that profession which is more precious then life it self The condemned innocent hath sometimes converted the unjust Iudge and by a glorious eluctation over-thrown the malice and envy of his adversaries Eternity is the reward of every true Christian yet they that die for Religion think they purchase heaven at an easie rare The lively voice of a powerful preacher is not armed with such effectual Eloquence They that will not be won with words cannot but admire the cheerful Rhetorick of their constant resolutions The Roman ensignes never spread so farre as the Christian standard and those Red-characters have confuted the Egyptian learning If we cannot maintain this Doctrine with the losse of life it is in vain to teach it with the expence of breath But how far are they out of fashion that study to disgrace it with both and cannot be perswaded to entertain this profitable instruction within the verge of their opinion or practise XXXVI As we cannot live without eating and drinking so it is requisite that we receive our sustenance with that moderation that no more be taken in then is necessary for the nourishment and refection of our bodies If we take too little we are guilty of Theft and Robbery upon our selves if too much of violence and oppression and instead of satisfaction impose a burthen upon the flesh and for preservation induce destruction but the danger that falls out by not observing a mediocritie is more to be feared on one side then the other Our appetite is more apt to offend in the excesse then in the defect They that use their daily bread as Gods blessing cannot transgress either way but like a skilful Chymist that can refine his gross materials into a pure quintessence by the Art of sobriety temperance and gratitude are wont from their bodily food to extract a dyet for the soule which shall feed and preserve it to eternal life XXXVII A counterfeit zeale will degenerate into malice There are no such Enemies to the House of God as those that seem to be the greatest friends A profest adversary to the Church may be avoided but a close enemy will not discover his hatred till it be too late to resist Thus mischief can walk in the disguise of Religion and Envy plays the Jesuite in a holy mask I will always suspect his heart whose tongue flames with sacred words when wanting their fit opportunities and delivered in a hasty fit of devout passion Be not righteous overmuch is good Counsel For Extreame puritie will turne at length into manifest impiety XXXVIII There can be no condition of peace allowed to our souls except while we remain here in this earthly Garison with our utmost strength and power we resist the rebellious corruption and tyrannicall enforcements of sin Some learned Criticks would have Peccatum sin to be derived from Pecus a Beast Properly enough if we consider the nature thereof for by that we degenerate into a beastly disposition How then can we expect the friendship and love of him who made us men when we entertain that which deprives us as it were of our peculiar liar existence and proper Being If we make an Agreement or keep in league with wickednesse he that as a friend is able to crown his blessings with eternity as an enemy to destroy without end will redouble his anger and revenge XXXIX I will endeavour to live so as if I saw God a perpetual spectator of my actions Never yet was sinner so destitute of shame and grace so arm'd with impudent boldnesse that he durst always act a mischief before every mans face If I consider that God sees my secret sinnes more plainly then any man my best works I should out of modesty forbear to commit a shameful fault and out of feare to offend him who is both witnesse and Iudge XL Nothing is so generally beloved as the immortality of a Noble name and yet this in it self confers nothing to our happinesse or misery either before or after death it matters not how we are censured so we be really good and if we be ill a little credit may hide but cannot abate our vilenesse The hypocrisie of a false renown doth rather aggravate then diminish our unworthinesse We may trample upon the graves of the dead but cannot hurt their