Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	call_v	church_n	congregation_n	1,735	5	9.2238	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51245	Ho thésauros en ostrakinois skeuesin. A pearl in an oyster-shel: or, pretious treasure put in perishing vessels. The sum or substance of two sermons preached at Withall-Chappel in Worcestershire. Wherein is set forth the mightiness of the Gospel, the meanness of its ministration. Together with a character of Mr. Thomas Hall, his holy life and death. By Richard Moore, a willing, though a most unworthy servant of God in the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ.	Moore, Richard, 1619-1683.	1675 (1675)	Wing M2583; ESTC R222046	51,229	137

supposed he had our Saviour his Precept and his Apostles Practice Acts 5.29 in such a case to obey God rather than Man And what Erasmus said of Luther Acts 4. 19. was true of him Non leve prejudicium est tantam esse Morum integritatem ut ne hostes reperiant quod calumnientur His life was so unblameable that his greatest Enemies could not blemish him 5. He was of an humble deportment and carriage easie of access and easie to be intreated he had not respect to the rich because of their riches nor despised the poor because of his poverty but his doors and ears were open to them and he would be an Advocate for them and plead their cause with such as were mightier than they and the meanest Inhabitant of the Parish should assoon have his request granted if lawful and in his power as the greatest He sought not after great things for himself but was content with mean fare and coarse cloathing and would often use that saying of Mr. Greenham brown Bread and the Gospel is good fare and if his Landlady had provided any Dish that he thought superfluous he could hardly be perswaded to taste of it but would blame her for it And it seemed to import his deep humility he gave order after his decease That his Body should neither be laid in the Church nor Chappel but in the Church-yard among the meanest of his neighbours 6. He was a great lover of peace and for peace sake hath often parted with his own right never looking exactly after Decimations but leaving it to the people many times to do as they pleased made compositions with them upon easie terms to their good liking and when he heard of Contentions in the Parish he would preach against them and perswade his Hearers to follow after the things that made for peace And when any litigious actions have been brought in their own Court he hath endeavoured to stop such procedures shewing the parties that contended how unchristian a Course it was for them who were brethren to fall out amongst themselves Esteeming it much better to buy Love than Law since Mr. Dod. they might buy much Love for a little but could not have a little Law for a great deal yea though he prized peace at so high a rate he would not part with purity to purchase it 7. His preaching was plain but profitable and powerful not in the inticing words of mans wisdom and he spake not Phalerata but fortia in the evidence 1 Cor. 2. 1. and demonstration of the Spirit never respecting the persons of men whether rich or poor but reproved sin in whomsoever he saw it 8. He was one that was much in Communion with God in publick and in private according to his duty and as the Churches necessity called for it observing many days of Humiliation and Prayer with his own Congregation and other private Christians Gen. 18.17 wherein he would reverently pour out his soul into the bosom of his Heavenly Father and had much of Gods Psal 25. 14. mind made known to him So that he did foretel what would befal this and our Neighbour Kingdoms for our hating to be reformed and in particular that desolation of London by Plague and Fire before God set up those Comers as Intelligencers to forewarn the Nation See what he writ in his Epistle Before his Samaria's Downfal to that famous City Sin saith he hath brought down greater Cities than yours as they had their time of rising so of ruining as of building so of bruning Witness Nineveh Noe Tyrus Babylon and Jerusalem Sin hath made them all a desolation I shall never expect saith he that City or State shall prosper or that your houses should continue when Gods House lies wast all our Buildings will be but Nods and Babels unsettlement and confusion till Gods House be settled and exalted 9. He was abundant in thanksgiving to God for calling him to the knowledg of his Will and for giving him ● heart to imbrace the Truth in the love of it who walked before as other Gentiles whom God hath passed by though greater in Wealth outward Worth Wisdom Learning c. and that he had called him to the work of the Ministry in a place according to his own heart and among such a people as bore good will to his person and acknowledging this to be the meer good pleasure of God he endeavoured to quicken himself and his Flock to a grateful Consideration of the love of God in this respect 10. He was very careful how he spent his time which he never did in idleness unnecessary journeys or complemental visits but whithersoever he went his intention was either to do or receive good that time that he could spare from his Pastoral Employment he spent mostly in visiting of Learned men and in writing Books Thirteen of which he printed in his life-time besides what he left for the Press after his Death Concerning that Commentary of his upon the Second of Timothy Mr. Ley a very Learned Godly Man writeth That it is the better half not in quantity only but in quality of the best Expository Treatises that he had seen upon that Scripture And doth believe for Congruity of the Truth with the holy Text pertinency and fulness of profitable matter deducted from it or consonant to it is the best that hitherto hath been Extant in the Church of Christ I am now arrived at the last Scene of his Life and the beginning of his Sickness no part of which he acted amiss admitting of common frailties which are incident to the best of Saints who should be denominated secundu n meliorem partem with some Grains of allowance As Dr. Fuller saith A Pomegranate without any Core must necessarily be planted in Paradise And as the Swan is said to sing most sweetly when he is dying and exchanging life Aristotle for death Of which Bird Martial hath this Epigram Dulcia defecta modulatur Carmina lingua Cantator Cygnus funeris ipse sui Sweet strains he chanteth out with 's dying tongue And is the Singer of his Funeral Song So this Saint and Servant of Jesus Christ as he was profitable in his life so he was peaceable and pleasant in his sickness singing and making melody in his heart unto the Lord. In the year 1664 about the beginning of September before his last sickness as he was going up the stairs to his Study he was smitten as if one had struck him with a Dagger on his back insomuch that he was not satisfied till they that were near him looked to see whether there were any visible here he was nigh fainting upon it and continued weak before this he had been visited with a Quartain Ague the Dregs of which Disease being not wrought out by Physick brought a lingring Scorbute and he felt an extream pain in his back and had a Flux of Blood issuing from him which brought him very

but drink of this Well of living Waters where only it is the deeper the sweeter I cannot but wonder that Men that have Reason and are in their right wits can hear these things and not be at the least convinced if not converted Oh that the god of this World the Devil should be able in things so clear and perspicuous to put a Blind upon your Understandings and Bribe your Judgments Truly if the Gospel in these Halcyon-days be a hidden Treasure to you it is so only to such as are lost c. 2 Cor. 4.4 3. Beg of God by frequent and fervent Prayer that he would give you inlightned understanding so as you Psal 119. 18. may see a singular vertue in and may set a superlative value upon this excellent Treasure the Gospel which is a manifestation of Gods Mind the mystery of his Will and Wisdom a Copy of his Truth a transcript of Heaven and Happiness to the Heirs of Glory What Aeneas Sylvius saith of Moral Vertue may much more truly be said of the Gospel If moral Vertue could Aeneas Sylv. in his Epist to Sigismond be beheld with mortal eyes it would work a strange admiration in the Beholders But behold here you have Divine Vertue pointed out to the life Majesty and Mercy Vertue and Verity Righteousness and Peace kissing each other a far greater Treasure than the Ishmaelitish Merchants had of Joseph Psal 85. 10 who became Lord-Treasurer of Egypt and blessed be the Lord that we should be born to behold with our eyes the things that many Prophets and Mat. 13 17. righteous men desired to see and have not seen them Paulum in Ore Christum in Carne revelatum were two of St. Augustin's great wishes To see Paul in the Pulpit and Christ Incarnate c. The Queen of Sheba came from far to see Solomon and to hear his Wisdom and parted with much precious Treasure for this But behold a greater than Solomon the great Lord-Treasurer of the whole world hath sent his Embassadours to publish the glad-tidings of Peace and to sing that Evangelical Hymn Glory to God in the highest on Earth Peace good will towards Luk. 2.14 Men. And yet this Treasure sticks upon our hand and is vilely valued by the blind world who see not their want and know not the worth of a Christ Wisdom uttereth her Voice and proclaims her precious Wares and saith How long ye simple ones will you Prov. 1. 21 love simplicity and ye scorners delight in scorning c. yet the Staple-treasure of the Gospel will not off Men make light of it who have their Treasures Mat. 22. 5. in the Fields and will hardly step over their thresholds to gather this Mannah Could we but once perswade you to get inlightned understandings you would see with other eyes and hear with other ears than you now do and walk with other feet and work with other hands you would no longer lie down with the sluggard and say O utinam boc esset laborare Oh that this were to labour you would not with the hungry man barely long for this food but labour for it you would not only thirst as the Covetous Man doth after Wealth but you would work to get it you would wait at the Pool and at the beautiful Gates Acts 3. 2 10. of the Temple and your main request to Christ would be that of the blind Man Lord only that mine eyes might be Mark 10. 51. opened saith he Vse 4. With what Joy should we embrace the Gospel Men use to rejoice when they get Treasures The Marriage-day upon this account is called a Merry-day because the Man expects a Treasure for on what he sets his heart and affections that 's his Treasure Shall carnal Men rejoice when they find Jewels And shall not Christians who have a Treasure made up Psal 119. 14. of Jewels in the Gospel rejoice even more than in all riches We read in the Occurrences of the Low-Countries That a day of Festivity was kept some time for joy that the Scriptures were translated But this joy lasted but for a season like unto that of John Baptist John 5. 35. his Hearers And indeed what Reverend Moulin saith of his Countrymen we have cause to say of ours Time was Moul. Theoph. 2. 278. saith he That whiles they burnt us for reading the Scriptures we burnt with zeal to be reading of them Now with our liberty is b●ed a neglect of the Word of God and so it is with us as in some parts of the World where there are great store of Pearls and other precious Things the people will part with them for such things that we here count trifles So the Gospel is looked upon by many as Mannah was with the Israelites but common Meat Surely were it to be sent to such as have not heard it they would hear it more believe it more rejoice in it more than we do Alas for this poor Nation it surfeits upon the glorious Gospel And hence it is so few with Joy receive it with Faith believe it with their Heart embrace it But let all that are Gods Jewels rejoice in it more than in Corn and Wine and all earthly Comforts Vse 5. Let us come to the Preaching of the Gospel as unto a Treasury and Store-house of all good things Isa 55. 1. the Common Mart and Market of all spiritual Provision even Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg Here is Bread for the hungry Water for the thirsty Milk for Babes strong Meat for 1 Cor. 3.2 Psal 104. 15. Men Wine to make glad the Heart and Oyl to make his face shine Her● you may have Gold to enrich you 〈◊〉 Rev. 3.18 Garment to cloath you here are Ornaments for your head Bracelets fo● your neck and arms Pendents for you● ears Eye-salve for your eyes a Gird●● for your loins Brest-plates for you● hearts and Signets for your hand● You have here a Cornucopia for Plenty a Catholicon for Cures an Armory fo● Weapons against spiritual Wickednesses a Library for Books and Treasury for Jewels What woul● you have What are your Wants Here you may have a Supply from Jesus Christ In whom doth all fulness dwell and from whose fulness we receive Grace for Col. 1.19 Joh. 1.14 Grace Are you poor in spirit here are durable Prov. 8.10 Riches for you sick here is Physick for you sorrowful here 's Comfort for you tempted here 's sufficient Strength for you Are you in 2 Cor. 12. 9. Bonds here 's Bale for you Are you broken for sin here 's a precious Balm for you Have you a hard heart here 's a suppling and a softning Oyl for you Are you subject to fears and doubts here Faith is begotten for you Are you sullen or silent and cannot pray here you have the Spirits Promise to help your Infirmities Would you Rom. 8.26 Eph. 6. 1 2 3 4 5. know how to