Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	body_n	church_n	mystical_a	1,148	5	10.4023	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57544	The disabled debtor discharged: or, Mary Magdalen pardoned Set forth in an exposition on that parable Luke 7. 40.-51. There was a certain creditor, which had two debtors, &c. By Nehemiah Rogers, minister of the gospel.; Mirrour of mercy, and that on Gods part and mans. Part I	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1658 (1658)	Wing R1821A; ESTC R222102	218,172	327

the eare and either makes it to be worse in wilfull naughtinesse then before it was or els if it be acknowledged to be of gold and the Reproofe true yet it displeaseth and is not accepted with thanks which hindereth the operation of it Such a brasse earing was Shemeis rayling it could not be kindly taken The best eare that is will scarce receive a Reproofe foolishly given Vse 1 This may first Encourage us Ministers in this part of our Ministeriall service The sinners of Sion are not afraid as speakes the Prophet They walke with a haughty neck and will not be reprooved And yet wee need not dispaire altogether of good successe if we performe this worke aright and furnish our rebukes with cunning Arguments Rhetorick is usefull but that may not enter the Lists without some weapons borrowed from the Arsenall of Logick That Maxime in Phylosophy would be remembred The will wills no more then the understanding understands Checks as one speakes have a kind of signiorie over the outward members they may fetter the legs or manacle the hands from some outward performances but to toyle the Will and controll the Affections Reason it selfe must chide and the Intellectuall Faculties must be satisfied It is not alwaies the sweetnesse and enticement of sin it selfe delighting us that causeth mans nature to be so froward and repiningly to receive Instruction but many times for that Reproofe proceeding from some private and sinister respects is not done with that discretion that it might be The Preacher seeks not out acceptable words he sets not in order his Parables and Proverbs whence it is that they are not as goades and nayles fastened by the Masters of Assemblies as Salomon sheweth Eccles 12.9 10 11. though they be the words of Truth That the words of winde then may have an end which young indiscretion often powres out in greater number then in weight Job 16.3 And that wee may keepe the true patterne of wholsome words 1 Tim. 1.13 2 Cor. 12.16 whereby wee may doe good Pray we to God for skill and wisdome that we may as S. Paul speakes of himselfe though in another sence take the sinner by a holy craft and guile God hath made us Fishers of men and we should learne of him so to baite our hookes that they may be most likely to take To fish without a baite is but to entangle all in the weeds to fish with an unpleasing baite is to fish with Peter all night and take nothing but to fish with a proper baite under which we hide the hooke and so stand close undiscerned is the way to take as Paul took his keeper God hath made us Stewards of his houshold and provided victualls for his Family and appointed us to dresse it If wee doe not so Cooke it as to fit the palates of those for whom it is intended wee loose our Cost and Labour Wee are Physitians and must so wrap up our pills that they may kindly worke in the bottome of the belly Wormewood is an herbe of it selfe wondrous bitter and yet as some say being well distilled the water thereof doth not onely loose the sent of the herbe but also the bitternesse in tast Correction and Reproofe is like Wormewood bitter of it selfe to nature it doth no whit please the pallate but when the gentle fire of discretion hath ordered it aright it becomes sweet and wholesome like the bitter waters of Iericho after Elisha had cast salt into them 2 King 2.21 Yea Discretion is that salt which doth season and preserve the Sacrifice of our Lips And therefore as in another sence it was commanded Levit. 2.13 Let not any oblation be made without it Next it serves to admonish you our Hearers that you profit by our Reproofes so as to lay your hands upon your mouthes as speakes the Prophet and be convinced Conscience will convince you first or last it is better to have a saving conviction in this life then a desperate conviction in hell hereafter Our words are like the Arrowes which Ioash shot and Gods Spirit is like the Prophets hand to guide the Arrow which oftentimes pierceth the soule of sinners and wounds them with griefe unto the heart But what was said of Ioash his Arrowes may be said of ours The Arrow of the Lords deliverance And therefore it were good if Hearers would open their breasts Orig. Homil. 2. in ●ant Greg. Nyssen in Hom. 4. in Cant. and as Origen speaketh Transfigendum praeberent hujusmodi jaculis offer themselves to be pierced with these Arrowes The wounds which they make are praeclara vulnera excellent wounds by which not Death but Life enters into the soule It is your Vices that we shoot at not your selves It is storyed of one Achon the Cretian that when a Dragon had taken away his sonne he with his Arrow killed the Dragon but did not hurt his sonne his naturall affection putting that Art into him in which respect it was said of him Ars erat esse Patrem so shall we studie to shew our selves to be Fathers to you in our Love whilst we kill the brood of the red Dragon your vices in you no way hurting you through any ill Affection And so I passe from this generall to another Observation which may be made from the Nature of Simons Answer which was in sincerity and according to the Truth as our Saviour testifieth though to his owne conviction Whence we may be taught to do the like Doct. When we tell then the Truth must be told though it make against our selves When wee Answer we must Answer truly These are the things you shall doe speake every man Truth unto his neighbour saith God Zach. 8.16 And againe Cast off lying and speake every man Truth unto his neighbour Reason saith the Apostle adding it as a Reason For wee are members one of another Ephes 4.25 You know in the Body of man one member will not lie unto another Theodor. in Ephes 4.14 The Hand will not he in telling what it toucheth The Tongue will not lie in telling what it tasteth The Eye will not lie in telling what it seeth but every member is a true witnesse to his neighbour So should it be in the Politick body of Government and Society and in the Mysticall body of the Church and Christianity seeing we are members of the same It was a worthy speech of Iustin Martyr speaking of the persecuted Christians In nostra est potestate ut cum inqui●imur negemus sed vivere nolumus mēdaciter quicquam loquentes Iust Martyr Apol. 2. pro Christ It is in our power saith he when wee are sought for and examined to deny what we are and what we beleeve but we will not live to speake any thing untruly Quest But am I alwaies bound when I speake to tell the Truth may not a man sometimes conceale or tell contrary to the Truth if I see my selfe or neighbour may thereby be profited and

they had married such wives and begot Children of them yet they were to put them away againe Ezra 10.11 Now a greater liberty is given The unbeleeving wife is sanctified to the beleeving husband 2 Cor. 12.13 14. And so much for the Answer to this Objection For my Feet Text. The Feet are the lowest part of the body the meanest for account and homeliest for imployment And being nearest the Earth are most apt of all other parts to gather soyle and filth In which respect they stand in most need of washing as our Saviour shews by that speech of his to Peter after he had washed the Disciples Feet wherby he taught them both Holynesse and Humility Ioh. 13.10 He that is washed needeth not save to wash his Feet In which saying our Saviour either alludes to this common practise amongst the Iewes whose first office to Guests and Strangers was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially after travell or els to bathing from whence none comes without some gravell sticking betwixt their Toes in which respect they use to wash them last of all but to the first he alludes most likely Thus much we note from hence Doct. The lowest and meanest member of the body is not to be despised The Feet are to be washed as well as face or hands litterally this is true 1 Cor. 12.21 22 23 24. So we find that there were widdowes appointed of purpose for this end 1 Tim. 5.10 And Mystically it is true Pedes nostri affectus nostri Aug. in Ps 64. Ioh. 13.10 where by Feet we must needs understand the Affections of the soule on which it stands or falls as the body doth by the Feet of it and is moved and carried too and fro by them as the Body is with those strong-men as Salomon cals them Eccles 12.3 Those have in a speciall manner need of washing for that they are next the Earth having to do with earthly things as Honours Profits Pleasures As likewise for that they do follow naturally the Disposition and Temperature of the Body in which respect they are called earthly members by the Apostle Col. 3.5 Now though the soule be washed in the Bath of Iustification yet in regard of Corruption remaining there is an use of daily washing in the Bath of Sanctification The former is the Kings bath and serves for the Guilt of sinne the other is the Peoples hath and serves to do away the filth or stain of sin Quest But why did not some of our Saviours Apostles wash his Feet after hee had washed theirs Resp Two Reasons are rendered why they did not First Amb. de Virg. lib. 3. for that Mary had already washt them as here you find and it was not Christs mind that the lustre which was given to his Feet by Maries teares should be washt off againe with ordinary and common water Secondly The washing of the Apostles Feet was Mysticall and signified the cleansing and sanctifying of their soules and the affections of the same Now this could not suit with our Saviour who was free from the least filth of sinne there was not the least tainture in him Vse Now to apply this See that we be carefull of our Bodies In hoc mundo cum nostris tentationibus nascimur caro nobis aliquando adjutrix est in bono opere aliquando autem seductrix in ma lo. Siigiturei plus quam debemus tribuimus hostem nutrimus Et si necessitati ejus quae debemus nō reddimus civem necamus Satianda est itaque caro sed ad hoc usque ut in hono opere nobis sussiciat nam qui quis ci tantum tribuit ut superbiat satiari penitus ignorat Ars itaque magna est sattari ne unusquisque per satietatem carnis ad iniquitatem prorumpat turpitudinis Greg. Mor. l. 12 yea of the lowest and meanest member for that it is also a Member of Christ 1 Cor. 6.15 In which respect there is an honour due unto them as also for that the Body and overy part of it is a servant to the soule and an instrument wherby it worketh so that the neglect of it will greatly disable the soule and hinder the actions and functions therof You know the Carpenter layes by his Axe when the edge is blunted and the Musitian his Lute when the strings are broken and an Inbabitant soon forsaketh his house when the walls fall downe So doth the Soule the body as you find Eccles 12.1 2 3. c. And therfore it is our Duty to keep it in the best repaire we can that we may do God the better and the longer service Notwithstanding our chiefest care must be for our Soules and in looking unto that care must be had in a speciall manner to our Feete that we keepe them cleane for as much as it is Satans speciall drift to fowle them Our Affections are the Eves which the Divell makes use of to betray our soules These are the Iaels he useth to seduce us They are the Dalilah's he imployes to betray us and lull us a sleepe whilst the Philistines be upon us God hath placed Affections in the soule as the Sentinell upon a Citty wall to give the watch-word when danger is neare and to keepe the rest from sleeping and idlenesse Now if Satan can but prevaile with them he will soone enter and overcome all Eph. 4.27 1 Tim. 6.10 Tertullian tells us it was the fetch of Heretiques in his time prius suadere first to perswade and then teach After they had wound into the Affections of Hearers they did corrupt their Iudgements The more to be pittied is the practise of such as bestow all their pains in washing other parts whilst their Feet are too much neglected Some mens care is only for the Face that it be cleane So those Hypocrites we read of Math. 6.16 All they do is to be seene of men Their Devotion is a Stage Devotion it begins not till the Spectators be all ready and the Galleries filled Some bestow most pains about their Hands with Pilat them they wash profesting themselves to be free from the blood of all men Their whole care is about the Duties of the second Table to keep their hands from picking and stealing and give every man their due whilst in the meane time God is forgotten And these are boasting Pharisees and meere civill men But the care of a Christian should be not only to wash away the Iniquity of his hands as Psal 26.6 but also the iniquity of his heeles as Psal 49.5 And the rather for that as you have heard Satan in that part especially desireth to bruise the Christian Gen. 3.15 And as this care must be had of our owne Feet so likewise of Christs I meane the meanest and lowest member of his Mysticall body small omissions towards them are observed and taken speciall notice off Math. 10 42. Mark 9.41 Math. 25.40 45. With-hold not any thing from the poorest member of Christ Jesus