Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	communion_n	society_n	2,512	5	9.2730	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95617	Christ's government in and over his people. Delivered in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late publick and solemne fast, Octob. 26. 1642. / By Thomas Temple D.D. and minister of the Church of Battersea in Surrey. Published by order of that House.	Temple, Thomas, d. 1661.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. aut	1642 (1642)	Wing T634; Thomason E127_37; ESTC R4760	39,793	55

because they are now his 2 Cor. 6.20 and no more our own It were unequall we should expect redemption from him and yet not yeeld obedience to him that is the very end of our redemption Luke 1.72 that wee being delivered out of the hands of our enemies should serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our lives Here we should take St. Peters rule to Ananias touching the possession he had sold Why hast thou kept back part of the price while it remained unsold was it not thine owne it was thine owne Acts 5.3 thou mightest have done with it as thou pleasedst but having sold it to God why dost thou now keep back that which is Gods while we were our own we might dispose our selves according to our own wils but now Christ having bought us what right have we to keep back from Christ that which is Christs if we belong to God by the right of purchase why should we defraud God of his due while we were Satans we might give unto Satan the things of Satan serve him whose we were but now being Gods purchase we ought to give unto God the things of God serve him whose we are Vse 1 If Christ bee King of his Church let Gods people comfort themselves in this that Christ reignes that Christ sits as King among us The use David makes of this doctrine Psal 97.1 The Lord reignes what then let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof We that live here in the Isles have not we a portion in this joy and comfort that we know Christ is King and reignes among us let the earth rejoyce and the multitude of the Isles be glad Indeed if Gods people consider they are but a little flock of kids among many lions 1 Kings 20 27. Mat. 10.16 Cant. 2.2 a few sheep among many wolves a single lilly among many thornes if they consider what machinations what pernicious plots are daily contrived against them if we had not this to support us to know Christ is King that he orders all for the best for us subdues our enemies protects us from plots of malignant persons preserves us in the midst of greatest dangers it might well cast us into despaire of ever holding up our heads with comfort But when we remember that Christ sits as King among us he is above in heaven and laughs at the plots of wicked men Psal 2.4 the Lord has them in derision men may be busie in contriving but Christ is as busie in defeating here is a glorious beame of comfort breaks in upon us under this notion of Christs being King his reigning in the midst of his people Comfortably may we apply that of the Prophet look upon Sion the City of our solemnities Isa 33.20 thine eyes shall see Ierusalem a quiet habitation a tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the stakes thereof shall ever bee removed neither shall any of the cords thereof bee broken but there the glorious Lord will be to us a place of broad rivers for the Lord is our judge the Lord is our law giver the Lord is our King he will save us When we look up to Christ and meditate with our selves is not Christ our judge is not he our law-giver is not he our King he will save us we may with comfort look upon Sion the City of our solemnities and shall see our Jerusalem againe a quiet habitation I shewed you before it is one of the prime acts of Christs Kingly office to preserve his subjects if we break not covenant with him he will help us and why should we not then boldly say if the Lord be our helper Heb. 13.6 we will not feare what man can doe unto us then we feare when we know we have many enemies and few helpers but if Christ be our King who can help us why should we feare what man or devill or powers of darknesse can do unto us Vse 2 It informs us in this how we should live one towards another as subjects of the same King the mysticall body of the Church beares analogy with the politick body of the State subjects as they are knit under one head so they should be of one minde and have one heart and that chiefly in three particulars First in love and keeping communion one with another union with Christ the head will produce communion with the members we have fellowship one with another 1 Iohn 1.7 There be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 certaine things which are common among Christian friends Arist Pol. l. 2. c. 3. a community in goods all that beleeved were together Acts 2.44 Ex substantia familiari fratres sumus Tert ap adv gent. c. 39. and had all things common a community in counsels contributing helps of advice upon occasions offered a community in intelligences the Churches in the Acts held intelligence together and the Ecclesiasticall stories tell us at Lions in France the Saints were wont to send to the Saints in Phrygia Omnia apud nos indiscreta sunt praeter uxores Tert. ap adv gent. c. 34. Occultisse notis insignibus noscunt amant mutuò penè antequ●m noverint Man Ejusmodi vel maximè dilectionis operatio notam nobis inurit penes quosdam vide inquiunt ut invicem se diligant Christiani Tert ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Al. paed l. 3. c. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. de Nonna Orat. 11. concerning the affaires of the Church all things they had common but especially a communion of conversation a delight in the society one of another 'T was a saying of a Heathen in the primitive times what strange people these Christians are they are as well acquainted in half an houre as others are in half a yeare We want this communion among us we keep communion with any kind of people rather then with the Saints of God We every day say we beleeve a communion of Saints but we make it in our practice rather a chymera then a thing reall we delight not in it O this strangenesse and loathnesse to society with good men it is not agreeable with that heavenly conversation Christians should have This should be the ligament of Christians society their relation to Christ as they are fellow Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem and the houshold of God and knit together under one King Wee should desire to keep the same company here we shall doe hereafter in heaven there our company shall bee God and the Saints so it should be here 'T is true civill commerce may be kept with all but we ought to distinguish in chusing our companions that when we die we may only change our place not our company if here we enjoy the presence of God and society of the Saints our change will be but easie when we go hence we go