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	doctrine_n	worship_n	3,910	5	7.2192	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40428	The Israelite indeed a sermon preached at the funeral of Mark Cottle, Esq., late register of the Prerogative-Office, on Thursday, Jan. 5, 1681 / by Sam. Freeman ...	Freeman, Samuel, 1643-1700.	1682 (1682)	Wing F2141; ESTC R65	12,038	36

Moral qualifications and these the rather as being in the Judgment of Christ himself most deserving our notice and observation Here then also you may behold an Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile I need not tell you that His Profession was that of the Reform'd Religion as the Doctrine and Discipline of it is establisht by Law in the Church of England and indeed if a constant and devout attendance on the Worship and Service of God a passionate Zeal for his Church an uncessant Care for it's Prosperity an universal love and concern for all that own'd it be any convincing Arguments of a man's Sincerity in his Religion never was there any Person who gave a clearer testimony of it than he did Such was his love to all publick Solemnities of Worship that he seldome fai'd unless prevented by Sickness or most indispensable Occasions to be present at them and so humble and devout was his Carriage and Demeanour in them that 't was hard for any person to observe it and not to be warm'd and excited by his Flames So steady and devoted a Member was he to this Church that he could not speak of its Dangers without some disturbance to himself nor mention its Divisions without tears How unwearied was he in his Endeavours to promote its Interest to win upon its Enemies and to encourage its Friends Amongst others the Clergy and Ministers of it had not the least share in his esteem and affection he never seem'd more chearful than when he was in their Company never better pleas'd than when they were at his Table To all men he was very Courteous and Obliging but 't was here that he shew'd his respects with delight and complacency Answerable to this his Behaviour towards God was his Conversation with Men. It would be too tedious to name all Particulars therefore not to mention the Vertues that are more common those that shone brightest in him were such as in this loose and distracted Age are not to be found in many I mean his Loyalty to his Prince and his Charity to all that stood in need of it His was true primitive Loyalty without any Roman Shifts or Jesuitical Evasions or Fanatical Distinctions holding himself oblig'd in all Cases that are not sinful actively and chearfully to obey but in no case and for no reason whatsoever to resist Authority He was the man that instead of finding fault with Governours sought God for them instead of scanning and censuring Acts of State earnestly implored Gods direction of them instead of venting complaints about the state of things daily petition'd God for the Setlement of of them in good order And of the same genuin stamp was his Benevolence and Charity to his Fellow-Subjects which he on all occasions manifested by composing their Differences and relieving their Necessities These were more than any thing his daily business his Meat and Drink his Pleasure and Recreation In his younger years when he practis'd what pains would he take to loose a Client and to prevent a Law Suit How ready was he at all times to take up Quarrels and how unwearied till he had put an end to them never medling with other mens business but only when 't was to oblige them or to make them Friends To this blessed work of making Peace did he add that other of shewing Mercy His Charity was very large and diffusive not confin'd to his Kindred and Relations but flowing in several Channels to all that needed it to more than ask't it most of all to the Widows and Orphans of such especially Churchmen whose narrow Fortunes or untimely deaths whose Fidelity to the Crown or Sufferings for the Church had disabled them to make any better provision for them a considerable number whereof as I am credibly inform'd had the greatest part of their Livelyhood if not their total Subsistence from him And as he liv'd daily doing good so was he not unmindful to leave sufficient Evidences of his kind and charitable Disposition at his Death having bequeath'd almost to all the places where he had spent any considerable part of his Life several large Legacies either for the Poor's Relief or other pious and publick Uses In sum such was his uniforme and comely Demeanour such his complyant and inoffensive Conversation such his fair and punctual Dealing such his universally-loving and benign temper of Mind that they deservedly begat in all that observ'd him a very great esteem and veneration for him insomuch that it s not easie to name the Person that had more Friends or fewer Enemies I have but one thing more to add which yet gives a farther lustre to this excellent Person and that is the admirable Patience and great constancy of Mind wherewith he endured his Disease encountred Death and triumpht over it For any man to bear misery well has been ever accounted so great an honour that some of the Ancient Heathens have too extravagantly thought it equal'd men to God himself who is not capable of Misery That says one of them is truly Divine to have the frailties of a man the security of a God Now in all the time of his long and painful Sickness who ever saw him discomposed who ever heard an impatient or discontented word from him It was my happiness to be frequently with him I call it so there being very much to be learn'd from his example at all times I saw great cause to admire his Faith towards God his Zeal for his Church his constancy of Mind his contempt of the World his willingness to dye and his chearful hopes of Eternity And in this serene and undisturb'd temper of Soul full of Faith and Hope he fell asleep and exchang'd this Life for a better Now farewel pious and vertuous Soul the Poor's Relief the Widow's Patron the Church's Friend the King 's Loyal Subject and Gods most faithful Servant May thy Name and Memory ever live in our breasts And may thy Vertues and Example be ever fruitful in our Lives That so at the great and last day we may meet together again in unspeakable Joy where Sin and Sorrow and Death shall be no more Which God of his infinite Mercy grant c. 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Deportment towards God and so he is one 1. Who is Religious out of good Principles such as these that there is an eternal God infinitely good wise land powerful who is in every place sees every thing and not only takes notice of our actions but knows our very hearts and the most inward thoughts and intentions of them That this God as Governour of the World and Judge of men concerns himself in all humane affairs disposes of all events requires punctual obedience to his Laws and will justly reward every man according as their hearts and practices bear a conformity to them By such Principles as these he is influenc'd on all occasions here he begins and here he ends all his actions thus he considers and proposes to himself Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous therefore I 'l be just and righteous in all my Dealings the Poor in Spirit shall inherit Heaven therefore I 'l labour to subdue my Pride I 'l forgive the Injuries that are done to me because he that forgives shall be forgiven I 'l be merciful to them in misery because the merciful shall obtain mercy I 'l love my Enemies because this makes me like to God and fit for Heaven I 'l bless them that curse me because they that bless shall at last be most certainly blessed 2. Whose Religion is inward in the heart and soul and not only in the outward Action whose Religion consists not meerly in External Services or Bodily Exercises but in an inward good complexion and virtuous disposition of Soul This is that our Saviour told his Disciples and in them us Matth. 5. 20. Except your Righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees was an External Righteousness consisting of External Rites as Circumcision and Sacrifices depending upon External Priviledges as being of the Seed of Abram and Stock of Israel pretending to an external Sanctity and blamelesness of Conversation These were the great Doctors of the Jewish Church and they Expounded the Law no farther with them no man was a Murderer but he that sheath'd his Sword in his Brothers bowels no man an Adulterer but he that actually lay with his Neighbours Wife they thought it no Injustice or Irreligion to return an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth to retaliate and revenge in the highest degree so that at the same time their outward man might keep the Law whilst their inward man brake it But the Religion of a true Israelite sinks deeper enters into his Soul renews his Nature curbing every exorbitant desire and suppressing every irregular motion and affection of the Heart hence he is said to be a Gal. 6. 15. a new Creature b John 3. 3. to be born again c Eph. 4. 23. to be renewed in the spirit of his mind and to this purpose are those words of St. Paul applicable He is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh Rom. 2. 28. but he is a Jew that is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God 3. Whose Religion is regular and peaceable as well as pure he never runs away with Objections upon hear-say nor bespatters any legal Constitutions before he examines them he scruples not the use of some things that seem inconvenient to him provided they are not sinful there being no Church under Heaven free from all exceptions as to matters of Discipline and Worship and quietly and prudently submits to the lawful nay doubtful appointments of men rather than the Bonds of Peace and Unity should be broken He very well knows what a mortal Enemy all Factions and Divisions are to Religion how like a Canker they eat out the Soul and Life of it and therefore he sets himself with all his might and skill to compose and suppress all religious Differences and like that brave Roman is ready to Sacrifice himself to fill up the wide Gulph that mens Contentions have made in the World All separating Principles he abominates and thinks nothing too deare a price to be laid down for Peace but Truth and Holyness 4. He never takes up a Religion to serve a turn to make it an Art to thrive by or a Footstool to climb up to his affected Greatness He hates nothing more than to see men make Religion a Pander to Vice and an Engine to give credit to their unwarrantable Undertakings than to see them entitle God to their Villanies and father their Pride and their Passion their Enthusiastick Freaks and Delusions upon his Holy Spirit such are they who personate the Saint that they may with less suspicion play the Devil that prostitute Religion to bad purposes and use it as a paint to make ugly Designs look well-favour'd 2 Sam. 15. 7. Such an one was Absolom who under the pretence of Devotion and paying his Vows to God design'd and plotted Rebellion against his Prince and Father such an one was Ahab 1 Kings 21. 9. who proclaim'd a Fast that he might kill Naboth and take possession of his Vineyard such were the Pharisees of old Matth. 6. 16. what heavenly looks what devout gestures what long prayers what frequent fastings had they more than other men you might have found them praying in every corner of the Street and some of them did almost nothing else but pray and yet all this did these demure Hypocrites make use of but as a Cloak to cover their Malice and ill Nature their Rapine and Violence 5. As he does not take up Religion out of any worldly ends and designs so neither does he lay it down upon such As he despises the flatteries of the World so hee 's not afraid of its frowns he fears not them that can kill the body and chooses rather to loose all than to let go his Integrity How yielding and complying soever he may be in all matters of an indifferent nature yet in a matter of plain Duty when the honour of God and the interest of Religion is at stake he is a man of the most steady and unshaken Principles whom not all the terrors of his Adversaries can make to flinch or give way How easily might Daniel by omitting his Devotions to the God of Israel but thirty days Dan. 6. 7. have outwitted his Enemies Malice and disappointed the Law that he knew was contrived on purpose against him viz. That whosoever should ask a Petition of any God or Man for thirty days save of the King should be cast into the Den of Lions yet what does he he was neither afraid of theirs nor the Lions rage but although Dan. 6. 10. he knew the Writing was sign'd went into his House open'd his windows and pray'd three times a day to his God as