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	law_n	matter_n	2,980	5	5.2921	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93240	Divine cordials: delivered in ten sermons, upon part of the ninth and tenth chapters of Ezra, in a time of visitation. By that godly and faithfull preacher of Gods Word, Iosiah Shute, B.D. and late rector of Mary Woolnoths in Lumbard-Street London. Published by authority.	Shute, Josias, 1588-1643.; Reynoldes, William.	1644 (1644)	Wing S3714; Thomason E38_7; ESTC R7756	101,687	190

sinne reignes so much in the world as it doth it is because there is no feare of God before mens eyes What saith the Psalmist Psal 36 1. Psalme 36.1 The transgression of the wicked man saith within my heart that there is no feare of God before his eyes And Saint Paul having dissected the sinner and ript him up to the bottome Rom. 3.18 Romans Chapt. 3. Verse 18. hee gives this as the reason of all the enormities there spoken of Non est timor Dei coram oculis corum There is no feare of God before his eyes When Abraham came to Abimelechs Court and to save his life said his wife was his sister the truth of the matter comming to Abimelechs hearing hee askes him why hee had dealt so with him Saith Abraham I thought the feare of God was not in this place See he did conclude that there might bee Adulterie and murther there because they wanted the feare of GOD. The feare of GOD is Janitor animae The Porter of the soule it stands Sentinell and will tell of dangers that bee approaching but if that be removed then the heart becomes a cage of uncleane Birds and such a man will not stick at any sin Therefore I wonder not that the unjust Judge did refuse to doe the poore woman justice for it is said Hee feared neither GOD nor Man Wouldest thou then bee kept from offending GOD above all thy getting get the fear of GOD which if once thou hast thou shalt bee kept from committing those sinnes which else thou wilt runne into every day Thirdly these that take upon them to advise the rest were such as were not guilty of the same sinne and the truth is That man is most fit to advise others Doctr. who is not ingaged in the same transgression The hand that must wash a thing cleane except it bee cleane will but adde to its pollution if it be not thus men will turne upon him that usurps this Office and say Medice cura teipsum Physitian heale thy selfe and first pull the Beame out of thine owne eye and then thou shalt see clearely to cast out the Meat out of thy brothers eye Nay it will bee said to such a one as our Saviour said to the Pharisees You lay heavie burthens on others but will not touch them with one of your fingers When therefore wee take upon us to reprove others let us be sure wee be innocent of that for which wee reprove them and that is the way to be successefull The last clause is And let it be done according to the Law What Law The Law of GOD they intend a Humiliation and they will have it according to the Law of GOD Heere I cannot but observe the ingenuity of these People they are not onely carefull for the matter but the manner of their Humiliation it must be according to GODS owne prescription Cain offered sacrifice as well as Abel he failed not in the matter but in the manner therefore God had no regard neither to him nor to his offering So Herod heard Jobn Baptist gladly and went beyond many professours in these dayes but yet because hee failed in the manner it being not according to the Law therefore God rejected him And the ground of this is that old rule of Luther God loves Adverbs better then Adjectives he lookes not so much to the factum the doing of a thing as to the bene factum that it be well done that is that it be done according to the law Let me advise you and my self to this necessary duty let us not onely looke to the matter but the manner how wee doe things in Gods service I am verily perswaded that at the day of Iudgement as many shall be condemned for doing things in a wrong manner as for not doing them at al as many for bad hearing as for not hearing Gods word as many for careles praying as for not praying as many for unworthy receiving as for not receiving the Sacrament at all What saith God for hearing Hee commands the matter but withall the manner which must be with Reverence and Attention together with a purpose to Practise what wee heare So for Prayer God not onely commands us to Pray but he prescribes the manner how wee must pray Fervently Faithfully and Constantly Look wee to both these to the matter to the manner of Gods Worship Isa 58. ● else God will fay to us as hee saith to the Jewes of Fasting Isaiah 58.5 Is this the Hearing the Praying the Receiving which I have chosen is this the giving of Almes that I have commanded to blow a trumpet when yee give it as if yee were affraid to trust God without a Witnesse God lookes that wee should be right in the manner as well as in the matter of his Worship for he will not be pleased with opus operatum the thing done which though it be the Papists Latine yet it is bad Divinity God is Deus Cordis non corticis the God of the heart not of the barke he hath respect to the manner how a thing is done as well as that it be done and if wee doe not persorme his service with a heart full of sincerity wee had as good cut off a Dogges neck I presse this the more because most of the Religion of this land is formality men come to Church give Almes and receive the Sacrament I can testifie with them that they are not defective in the matter but they exceedingly faile in the manner of GODS Worship for they doe not things according to the Law FINIS