Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	good_a	scripture_n	word_n	3,127	5	4.2624	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77492	An antidote against the poysonous vveeds of heretical blasphemies, which during the deplorable interval of church-government have grown up in the reforming Church of England. As it was lately presented to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth. / By Iohn Brinsley, Minister of the Gospel there. Augus. 10. 1650. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1650 (1650)	Wing B4705; Thomason E612_13; ESTC R206488	47,516	58

so in truth But what is it that maketh them so why the evils of sin abounding in these times True indeed there are other things which to flesh blood are hard and grievous and perilous The sword is yet amongst us and famine is amongst us and decay of trading is amongst us and though not Pestilence yet some other diseases which are looked upon as to a degree infectious and contagious are amonst us But behold greater evils then these All kind of sinful abominations are to be found in the midst of us And these are they which make the times to be so evill times Taking notice of this withall take notice of the way the next way the onely way to mend these times Every of us mend our selves mend the Persons and mend the Times As for judgments it is in vaine to repine and murmure at them to lift at them This is but as the galled horse that seeketh to shake off his burden which being fastned to him galleth him so much the more Judgments they must do the work for which they are sent execute their Commission Let our hands be against the evils of sin Every of us endeavouring according to our now almost forgotten Covenant to go each before other in a reall Reformation of our own hearts and lives This is the way to make the street clean every one to sweep before his own dore And this is the way to make the times better every one to mend to reforme one This is the truest Emondatio temporum amending of the times to amend the persons in those times So long as men are such as the Apostle here describeth some it is impossible the times should be good No they will be they must be difficult troublesome dangerous evill times But what kind of men are they which have such a maligne influence upon the times to make them so evill This the Apostle sets forth in the sequel of this verse where he reckons up a Catalogue of vices which if once they come to be Epidemical rife and common they infect and poyson the times proving dangerous and pernicious to the Church The first is Self-love {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which the Apostle here placeth in the front as a file-leader and that not without cause in as much as this vice maketh way for and ushereth in all the rest The second is Covetousnesse {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Love of money which the Apostle in the tenth verse of the sixth Chapter of the former Epistle calleth the Root of all evill The third is Arrogancie and the fourth Pride two vices neer a kinne Cosen germans {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when men shall arrogate much unto themselves looking overly and superciliously upon others The fifth is that which I have singled out from the rest being led to it by the present occasion Blasphemy and upon that I shall spend my following Meditations Men shall be Blasphemers Blasphemers The word Originally is Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} retained in the Latin and English The derivation of the word will lead us to the proper signification of it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} q. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith the Etymologist impetere rumoribus to assault one with rumours and false tales or rather as it is more vulgarly taken q. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Alterius famam maledictis laedere to wrong the good name of another This is Blasphemy at large any wrong injurie indignity offered to the good name credit reputation of another whether of God or of Man 1. For Man the wronging of his good name by slanderous contumelious speeches it may be called Blasphemie And so we finde it not only among prophane Writers whith whom the word is common in that sense but even in sacred Writ In that third of Titus v. 2. the Apostle chargeth Christians that they speak evill of no man The Original hath it Blaspheme no man {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Of this kinde of Blasphemie it is that the Apostle speaketh Col. 3. 8. where he reckons up this amongst the Rags of the old Adam which he requireth Christians to put off But now you also put off all these anger wrath malice blasphemie viz. speaking evill of their neighbour In this sense Paul saith of himself 1 Cor. 4. 13. and Rom. 3. 8. that he was defamed slanderously reported of where in both places the word is Blasphemed This Saint Peter tels us is the lot of Gods people to be thus Blasphemed evill spoken of by wicked men 1 Pet. 4. 4. To wrong the name of any good man is Blasphemie at large 2. But most commonly in phrase of Scripture and amongst Ecclesiastical Writers the word is taken in a more restrained sense as relating unto God and it imports some derogation some wrong or injurie offered to the name of God Which may be done either by thought word or deed By thought when any shall entertain any dishonourable opinions or conceptions concerning God thinking otherwise of him then is meet By word when men shall utter and expresse those dishonourable thoughts by disgraceful language speaking otherwise of God then is meet In deed when men shall do that which is highly dishonourable unto God Each of these may be called Blasphemie There is a Blasphemy in thought It was Jobs fear concerning his sons lest in the midst of their mirth they should have Blasphemed God in their hearts Job 1. 5. have let in some dishonourable thoughts concerning the Majesty of God into their hearts in the heat and liberty of their feasting And there is a Blasphemie in Deed It is the Lords complaint against the Jewes Is 65. 7. They have burnt Incense upon the Mountains and Blasphemed me upon the Hills There they had done that which tended to the high dishonour of God and so blasphemed him though not verbally and formally yet actually and interpretatively ●ut most properly Blasphemy is an injury offered to the name of God by word This is Blasphemy in an Ecclesiastical sense To speak impiously and wickedly so as either directly and immediatly or indirectly and interpretatively it reacheth unto the contumely of God himself Quaest. But what kind of Blasphemy is it which we meet with in the text Men shall be blasphemers but what kind of Blasphemers whether of God or of Men Answ. Here Expositors are divided Some understand it in the former sense translating the word barely maledici Slanderers Defamers Evil-speakers and some of them restraining it only to Men But others here look upon the Word with another eye conceiving the Apostle here principally to point at this highest kind of evill speaking impious speaking and that either directly or by consequence against God himselfe So Espencaeus Are●ius Grotius Blasphemers viz. of God And the last of them giveth a reason why he conceives it should be so a

doctrine of the Gospel 1 Tim. 6. 3. Tit. 1. 1. and that by reducing it to practice which is the truest acknowledgment leading a life befitting the profession of the truth in all uprightnesse and sincerity Thus knowing God let us glorifie him as God by walking before him in Truth not daring to do any thing against the Truth We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 8. Being thus sincere with God walking in the Truth we shall through his grace be kept from this great transgression 4. But in the fourth place walk humbly This is one of the things which the Lord requireth from his people that they walk humbly with their God Mic. 6. 8. O that every of us could but take out this lesson Surely the want of this it is that hath proved so baneful to many of our now seducing and seduced brethren They seemed to walk with God I but they did not walk humbly with him Their souls were lifted vp within them lifted up in the apprehension of their own graces gifts parts c. And therfore is it that God hath thus left them into the hands of this his messenger Satan thus to be buffeted by his Blasphemous tentations Let their fall be a Caveat to us Take we heed lest our hearts be exalted through the abundance of what ever spiritual priviledges we are made partakers of The story tels us of King Hezekiah when the Babylonian Ambassadours came to congratulate his recovery from that dangerous sicknesse Isa. 39. he in a vain glorious humour shewed them all his treasures that so the fame of his wealth and magnificence might be carried abroad to forraine Princes But what was the issue This vainglory proved fatal to his Kingdome betraying all those treasures into the hands of those Babylonians Thus dealeth God sometimes by his people when they will be proud of their spiritual treasures making ostentation of their gifts and graces God leaveth them into the hands of Satan to be made a prey of by him and for a time to be taken and carried captive by him at his will as our Apostle speaketh of some Apostates 2 Tim. 2 2 26. And therefore see that we walk humbly with God thinking meanly of our selves preferring others before our selves To these obvious directions I might adde many more St. Jude furnisheth me with three or four very proper in this case You shall finde them lying together in two verses in his Epistle Having in the 17. and 18. verses minded those to whom he writes of what our Apostle here warneth Timothy But beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ how that they told you there should be mockers in the last times Professors some of them should turn Blasphemers speaking evill of and mocking at the Truths and wayes of God which formerly themselves had professed and walked in In the 20. 21. ver. he subjoyns and layeth down some directions whereby Gods faithful people might be preserved from the like evill But ye beloved build your selves on your most holy faith c. In which two verses we may take notice of a fourfold direction each useful to our present purpose 1. Buildup your selves on your most holy faith Faith the Doctrine of Faith for of that the Apostle therespeaketh is the foundation on which Christians are laid and built Yee are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone saith Paul to his Ephesians Eph. 2. 20. that is upon the Doctrine of the Gospel the Doctrine of Faith and Holinesse contained in their writings Now being laid upon this foundation built upon this faith they are as living stones to build up themselves upon this faith Not seeking for any other foundation other foundation can no man lay saith the Apostle then that which is laid 1 Cor. 3. 11. not questioning the truth and soundnesse of this Gospel foundation they are with confidence and resolution to build upon it and to build up themselves on it endeavouring to advance themselves in their spiritual estate upon this foundation And this do you Brethren who would be preserved from the Apostacie of the times That foundation which you have been built upon that Doctrine of Faith and Holinesse which hath been preached unto you and received by you this is the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and other foundation can no man lay then what hath been laid amongst you If any shall pretend to do it though it were an Angel from Heaven Pauls Anathema will light upon him Gal. 1. 8. And therefore build you your selves on this foundation with confidence and full assurance build upon this doctrine as the infallible truth of God adventuring your salvation laying the weight of your souls upon it As the stones of the building lay all their weight upon the foundation firmly and immovably resting upon it So do you rest upon that Doctrine which you have learned Not calling in question any of the Principles of your Religion any of the fundamental truths of the Gospel This Scepticisme questioning Principles of Christianity specially if they shall be arraigned at the bar of humane Reason it maketh way for Apostacie and in the end as experience hath made it good upon some for Atheisme And therefore in this sense Lay we not again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God of the Doctrine of Baptismes and of laying on of hands and of the Resurrection of the dead and Eternall Judgment as the Apostle dehorts Heb. 6. 1 2. This do some at this day who call all these and al● other fundamentals of Christian Religion into question Let not us dare to do it But leaving the principles of the Doctrine of Christ leaving them as we found them immovable and unshaken taking the Principles of our Religion for indubitable and unquestionable truths let us go on to perfection in knowledge and practise so building up our selves on this our most holy faith going on forwards from faith to faith from one degree of faith and holinesse to another Not looking back as Lots wife did for which she is made exemplary to all Apostates being turned into a pillar of salt to season and preserve others but go on untill we come to the Mount of God untill we come to see what we have beleeved and shall receive the end of our Hope the salvation of our souls 2. The second direction followes Praying in the Holy Ghost This is one of the pieces of the Christian Panoplie of that compleat spiritual Armour which the Apostle willeth the Christian souldier to take up and make use of Ephes. 6. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit This piece of Armour Paul himself made use of against those buffetings of Satan supposed to be Blasphemous temptations he betook himself to his prayers For this thing I besought the Lord