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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	name_n	write_v	3,324	5	5.6212	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10916	The glory and happines of a true Christian A sermon preached by Master Rogers at Needham in Norfolke the 28 of Iune. 1617	Rogers, John, of Chacombe.	1618 (1618)	STC 21186; ESTC S100039	21,430	65

THE GLORY AND Happines of a true CHRISTIAN A SERMON PREACHED BY Master Rogers at Needham in Norfolke the 28 of Iune 1617. ✚ THOV SHALT LABOR TILL THOV RETVRNE TO DVSTE LONDON Printed by W. I. for T. P. dwelling in Iuie laine 1618. THE GLORY AND HAPPINES of a true Christian. Reuelation 3. verse 4. NOtwithstanding thou hast a few names yet in Sardis which haue not defiled then garments and they shall walke with me in white c. IN this Booke there is a description of the state of the Church First as it was present when Iohn writt this Booke of the Reuelation and this is in the three first Chapters set forth together with a description of Christ that reuealed this The first is a propheticall prediction or description of the state of the Church as it should be from that time euen vnto the end of the world The Lord Iesus appearing vnto Iohn in the I le Pathmos did command him to write seuen Epistles vnto the seuen Churches in Asia and here in the begining of this third Chapter he is commaunded to write vnto the Angell of the Church of Sardie and this Epistle being the first in order reacheth from the first verse to the eighth verse In which obserue a commaundement giuen to write In the Epistle there be three things to be noted The preface or entrance into the same wherein Christ himselfe is described by certaine roialties The matter or substance of the Epistle The Conclusion thereof Verses 5. 6. In the preface there be two great royalties giuen to Christ the first that he had the seuen spirits of God The second that he held the seuen starres and this was a fit Preface for the matter ensuing for by hauing the seuen spirits of God is to be vnderstood that he hath the manifold graces of the spirit and it was meete this drowsie Church of Sardie should take knowdge thereof that had formerly so ill husbanded the graces of God which they had receiued that they were in a manner lost to the end they might know when they might restore them againe And secondly hee is said to haue the seuen starres in his hand as in the first Chapter 26. 20. verses which stars are the Ministers of the Churches whome Christ vseth as his instruments tooles to worke withall yea he hath them so that he can punnish them if they become vnfaithfull Touching the matter or substance of the Epistle it containeth a reprehension of the Minister and people of Sardie for that hauing formerly receiued some grace and life from God they were growen to that passe that Christ accounted them little better then starke dead First telling them I know thy workes that is thy deadnesse in Gods seruice Now little ioy might they haue that Christ knoweth this by them that they were no better And so now many a man may take little ioy to remember that Christ knoweth his workes he being a Blasphemer a Sabboth-breaker a drunkard or a worldling c. And little ioy let them haue for me till they be ashamed of these their workes and til they goe to make complaint to God against themselues for their sinnes and seeke to haue their euill conuersation reformed As for the Church of Smirna mentioned in the second chapter and verse 9. that had a name to be poore but indeed was rich it might be a ioy to it that Christ knew their works for though they were reproched and accounted to be Hippocrites yet sith they did endeauour to walke Godly though in much weakenesse yet this is their comfort that Christ knoweth them and also loueth and alloweth of them though wicked men doe both scorne and hate them This Church of Sardie is reproued for that they had a name to be aliue but yet were dead Euen as Paul saith That he could not write vnto them as spirituall but as carnall for that th●y were more carnall then spirituall So as this Church of Sardie languishing and decaying in grace After this reprehension in the second verse he shewed them the remedy how to recouer themselues from this their euill estate and that is by Awaking Secondly by watching and prouoking themselues to greater zeale in Gods seruice Otherwise He will come sodenly as a theife vpon them and that in such a sort that they would be loath and also to their cost vnlesse they repent The Second part of the matter or substance of the Epistle is a commendation of the better sort of Christians in this Church which is in the fourth verse For he saith yet thou hast a fewe names in Sardie that had not defiled their garments as hard as the world goeth And though he could tell them by name they were but few yet he knew them and how they had not defiled their garments but had held out in a Godly and zealous course of religion answerable to their profession Now vnto these he maketh a promise in the next word that they shall walke with him in white that is in glorie and happinesse for they are worthy that is in his account in regard of the righteousnesse of Christ. Now of this verse I would speake at this time but yet because I am a man that peraduenture shall speake to you but once in my life time yet my intent and desire is to speake vnto all sorts of professors here present for as it was in Sardie so I suppose it is in this assembly that there are some that walke godly yet there be many moe that haue either a name to liue and yet are dead or else dying Heere be then three sorts of persons to be spoken of and first of those who onely haue a name to liue that is an opinion in themselues and so may be in some others as ignorant as themselues that they be aliue yet in truth are dead yea stone dead The second sort are such as hauing receiued and had some graces of the spirit heeretofore they are now decayed in grace and those are heere called a company of dead ones these were not quite dead for Christ doth bid them afterward to awake and strengthen themselues in the things that were readie to die they had some graces decayed and some languishing and dying in them The Third sort of persons heere mentioned were such as hold vp their holy profession with a godly conuersation The first sort were dead Christians The second cold Christians and the third sort were godly zealous Christians And euerie one of vs here present are one of these three sorts of persons The first sort be in a damnable state condition yet these make the greatest shew and of it be the greatest multitude The second sort are entred into a drowsie course and they be dying but not dead and being growen cold in religion and fallen from their first loue these be in a dangerous case and such the Lord will whippe and scourge and by one meanes or other to driue home