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	universal_a	2,106	5	9.1629	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62960	An exhortation unto reformation amplified, by a discourse concerning the parts and progress of that work, according to the word of God, delivered in a sermon preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the Massachusets colony, at Boston in New-England, May 27, 1674, being the day of election there / by Samvel Torrey ...	Torrey, Samuel, 1632-1707.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1674 (1674)	Wing T1916; ESTC R13732	47,259	54

Idolatry in the Worship of God Sinners are sp●●●ed unto and with the sins of the Times those sins are even rooted and grounded in the Spirit of the Generation as Jer. 17.1 The sin of Judah it is graven upon the table of their heart so that there is no hope of Reformation except we make us a new heart and a new spirit And truly this is the reason that we do not reform that we cannot reform though we do promise and vow Reformation unto God Deut. 5.29 This people have well said O that there were such an heart in them q.d. the great thing which this people want is an heart Truly so the great thing which New-England doth want it is a new Heart and a new Spirit Here then we must begin and in order hereunto 1. All sincere Christians must begin this work of Heart-reformation by labouring to recover your Souls out of your Spiritual Declensions in grace and in the life and power of godliness This Spiritual Declension it is in the first and most strict and proper sense that having of our first love reproved in the Context and therefore restitution from this Spiritual Declension it is in the first most strict and proper sense Doing of our first works commended in the Text and therefore sincere Christians are first and most properly concerned in this duty of doing of their first works How generally and deeply Christians are thus declined both their hearts and lives do sadly testifie It is the great and general complaint of all sensible Christians O their decayes and declensions hence little of the life and activity of grace hardly enough to evidence the sincerity of it clearly and comfortably either to themselves or others little of the life of Obedience either in duties of Religion or Righteousness much Carnality Formality Hypocrisie in the Worship of God both in publick private and in seeret in all their Converse and Communion both with God and Saints their Souls languishing under a Spiritual Consumption and those things which remain even ready to die Rev 3.2 It is true first of Christians then of Churches in this sense That there is a universal deadness upon the hearts of Churches hence great unprofitableness and unfruitfulness under all Ordinances sin more unmortified then ever their hearts and lives deeply corrupted with the sins of the Times and many Christians fallen into a very dangerous way of Communion with and Conformity unto the wicked World and all this appearing upon some of those whose first life love sincerity purity and eminency in grace and godliness was sometimes a Beauty unto these Churches O how is our gold become dim and our fine gold changed Lam. 4.1 How is our silver become dross and our wine mined with water Isa 1.22 How are Zions Nazarites changed in their visage Lam. 4.7 How are the faces the Countenance the Conversation of many Christians changed O Christians what shall we say what shall we do what will become of us yea what will become of Religion in this next succeeding generation If you live and die under your declensions as truly many Christians are likely to do being fallen into such deep security under their declensions that they are not like to be awakened untill the Cry be made at Midnight The Bridegroom cometh and must bestir themselves very hard to trim their Lamps in time to enter in with him O Christians It is your Spiritual Declension that is the main root of the degeneracy of this Noble Vine Jer. 2.21 It is your leaving of your first love which doth make way for the removal of the Candlestick your Spiritual declension will lead the way unto and lay the foundation for the general and total defection of these Churches in succeeding generations therefore as the defection hath been in part begun by your declension so the work of Reformation it must be begun by your restitution It is impossible that ever these Churches should be restored unto their first Spiritual prosperity and flourishing state unless Christians do first recover their first love life sincerity fervency purity activity eminency in the exercise of grace and in the performance of duty and in all practical piety both in heart and life O how can you hope to lye down in your Graves with peace and comfort before you have done what in you lyeth in the Work of Reformation How can you die in peace under your Spiritual declensions and thereby leave Religion decaying and dying and these Churches and this Generation your poor Posterity sinking under a general and total defection Sure in vain and frustrate will be all your prayers desires hopes of a Reformation except that you Christians do thus begin and lay the foundation of the work in your own hearts before you die 2. The work of Heart-reformation or making of a new heart consisteth in Conversion and Regeneration This is the most full and proper sense of those words Ezek. 18.31 Make ye a new heart and new spirit for why will ye die so Ezek. 33.11 Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die It is a Call to the unconverted when God doth restore his people from any deep and general defection and renew his Covenant with them he doth promise and actually pour out abundance of converting grace and so revive and renew the work of Conversion So Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you I will take the flony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh I will put my Spirit within you Let me be hold to say If ever these Churches be throughly recovered it will be it must be by such a dispensation of converting grace unto an unconverted generation It is Unregeneracy that is the radical and total degeneracy of any generation whereby it is wholly turned into the degenerate plant of a strange Vine unto the Lord. Here will be our deepest and most dangerous defection and that which will prove inevitably ruining unto these Churches unless the Lord have mercy upon us O our unbelief and disobedience unto the Gospel our rejection of Christ and his Kingdome It is a most sad and lamentable sign that these Churches and Religion are falling into an irreparable irrecoverable decay That there are so many of the generation growing up under the Ministry of the Word and the improvement of all means of grace in their Vnregeneracy under the prevailing power of Spiritual Apostacy and as we have cause to fear under a dreadful dispensation of divine Justice by Spiritual Plagues and Judgements being justly given up by God unto a spirit frame and way of unprofitableness under a Judicial Ministry sent to make their heart fat lest they should be converted as Isa 6.10 O it is a fearful word Lest they should see with their eyes c. and convert and be healed Observe there is no help no healing for any people if the work of Conversion cease amongst them Truly

Constitution and in the pure and powerful Administration both of Doctrine and Worship and by a powerful and effectual dispensation of his Spirit and Grace to restore and recover them from their present declension and defection He also proposeth it as a work and duty requiring present instant dispatch which must be quickly done and he presseth it upon penalty of Unchurching Judgements and so upon peril of gross open total and final Apostacy implied in the removal of the Candlestick and finally moving of them hereunto by a great and most gracious Promise of perseverance in case of obedience ver 7. To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Thus you see how full both the Text and the Context are of this Doctrine And this is also the great work and duty which God did propound and press by all his Prophets upon the Church of old in their declining and decaying state which for many Ages together they were in It was Gods great work by the Ministry of those great Prophets whose Prophesies are recorded in Scripture to convince them of their Back-slidings and Apostacy and to perswade them to return by Repentance and Reformation The general word of the Lord by those Prophets it was Turn O backsliding children Return O backsliding Israil Repent and turn ye Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die c. Jer. 3.12 14 22. 4.1 18.11 Ezek 14.6 33.11 Hos 12.6 14.1 It was the great work of those Prophets to bring back this people unto God 2 Chron. 24.19 Yet he sent Prophets to them to bring them again to the Lord. It was the general cry of all the Prophets Zech. 1.3 4. Turn ye now unto me saith the Lord c. Be not as your fathers unto whom the former Prophets cried Turn ye now Observe Repentance and Reformation it was the general cry of the Prophets to that backsliding people whence it doth appear that it was their great and main work and duty to Repent and Reform I might further demonstrate argue and prove this Doctrine from the suitableness of this work and duty unto a back sliding people it is the proper work of such a people as also from the necessity of it and from the good and benefit of it and from all Topicks of Reasons and Arguments but it being of undeniable and therefore of unquestionable verity I shall take leave for brevity's sake to pretermit what might or ought to be spoken for the more full Proof and Explication thereof and proceed unto Application Wherein I shall apply my self unto the Churches and unto the People of New-England so far at least as they may be spoken unto in one General Assembly and I shall address my self unto You as in the Name so in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ by this threefold Exhortation 1. Remember from whence thou art fallen 2. Repent 3. Do the first works These Epistles and so these Exhortations were directed to the Churches Christ requires and calls for the Attention of the Churches ver 7. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches I am emboldened therefore to propose and press this general Exhortation unto and upon the Churches because the Text the Doctrine the Occasion and the Opportunity do lead me unto it and because I have also thought that God doth call me unto it in the Improvement of such a Text upon such an Occasion in such an Assembly Exhort I. Remember from whence thou art fallen Let this be an Awakening Watch-word from our Lord Jesus Christ unto these slumbering Churches in this Midnight of deep Security wherein the generality both of Christians and Churches are disposing yea composing of themselves to sleep by indulging themselves unto carnal rest and ease shutting their eyes against all awakening discoveries and stopping their ears against all awakening voices yea although it be the voice of their Beloved as the Spouse Cant. 5.2 3. I sleep but my heart waketh it is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Surely an Awakening Watch-word is then most necessary and seasonable and never more then in sleepy and sleeping Times when Judicial Security seemeth to be both one of the greatest Sins and Plagues of the Times when God in just Judgement is pouring out of a spirit of deep sleep and closing the eyes of men as Isa 29.10 and giving a spirit of slumber Rom. 11.8 No doubt but this Church of Ephesus was deeply secure under her deep declension Spiritual declension doth incline both Christians and Churches unto Security whilst the wise Virgins lamps wanted trimming and the foolish Virgins lamps were gone out they all slumbered and slept Mat. 25.5 as Christians or Churches decline so they grow secure and fall asleep The Church of old both Israel and Judah were most prodigiously secure in the depth of their Apostacy the Prophets did prophesie Peace and the people did promise themselves peace untill they had consummated both their Apostacy and Misery Jer. 4.10 6.14 8.11 Ezek. 13.10 16. Truly thus it is too much with us the more sinful we grow the more secure the generality of the Generation growing more and more sensless supine stupid sottish in their security Hence although we hear all kinde of Awakening Voices and see many Awakening Sights though the voice of God doth Cry by his Word as Zech. 1.4 yea though it doth Roar by his Works Amos 3.8 yet we are not awakened Though there be a grievous and general Complaint and Cry of the great Crying sins of the Times yea although our sins do testifie against us unto our very faces Jer. 14.7 Hos 5.5 though our own wickedness doth correct us and our backslidings reprove us that we are forced to see and acknowledge that it is an evil thing and bitter that we have forsaken the Lord our God and that his fear is not in us Jer. 2.19 though we begin to labour and to languish under the sad and lamentable effects and consequences of our sins and are sensible that our transgressions and iniquities are upon us and that we pine away and are likely to perish in them Ezek 33.10 yea although we our selves in our most solemn Addresses unto Heaven do complain and cry out unto God of our sins iniquities Backslidings and Apostacies and verbally and formally express deep Conviction yet we are not awakened nor convinced but sensless and secure still our publick Solemnities performed by many but as Solemn Formalities do lull them to sleep in the deeper Security Isa 58.3 Truly the more means of Conviction the more a secure people are sometimes hardened against Conviction Security it is a great hinderance both unto Repentance and Reformation therefore Christ doth propose this as the first part of the work Remember

Train up your Children in the House of God unto the Worship of God that they may be prepared to uphold the Worship and Ordinances of God in their places in their generation It hath been heretofore the work of New-England to build the House of God to set up the Worship and Ordinances of God but now alas it is too much our work to pull down the House Worship and Ordinances of God Most of the sins of the Times and of the generation have a strong and direct tendenty thereunto We are sinning down and sinning away the Worship and Ordinances of God especially by our Pride Wantonness cannot Confidence in our visible Liberties and Priviledges carnal ease and rest Carnality Formality Hypocrisie Spiritual Idolatry in the Worship of God our manifold both gross and more spiritual Profanations and Pollutions of the House Worship and Ordinances of God O these evils growing and prevailing amongst us and many of the most notorious and scandalous sins of the Times getting into Churches and corrupting of Churches do sadly signifie at least great danger of the downfall of the House Worship and Ordinances of God Jer. 7.10 12. But that which is yet most sadly signal it is that there is not likely to be a people fit to uphold such pure Churches Worship and Ordinances at least not in the internal spiritual power and purity of them If we do consider how much both Civil and Religious Education is neglected and if we look upon the sad face of the Rising generation and see how much of Ignorance Atheism Profaneness Disobedience Rebellion and Irreligion doth already appear in the Conntenance of it what an ungracious irreligious generation there is likely to arise among us unless God in infinite mercy work a great and wonderful change our hearts may well tremble to think what will become of the Worship and Ordinances of God in the next Age. Many there are hopeful but alas how few in comparison with the Numbers of this numerous generation Here is a second generation arisen and a third and fourth generation arising apace and truly we have cause to fear that every generation will be less hopefull then other untill at last that wofull Saying be verified of us which is spoken Judg. 2.10 And there arose another generation after them which knew not the Lord. O unless God work graciously to save these degenerating generations there will be small hope of the long continuance of the pure Worship and Ordinances of God here the Worship of God and Religion will either revive and live or else utterly decay and die with the Rising Generations Unto this we may further adde the graduall removes of the Glory the disappearances of the Divine Presence the departures of God from his own House a sad sign that our House will be e're long left unto us desolate O how much then are we concerned to labour as much as in us lyeth by all means to uphold and maintain the Worship and Ordinances of God in their spiritual power and purity least the Glory should depart from this Israel and the Light of the Gospel be again utterly extinguished in this Western World 3. We must uphold and maintain our first love unto and zeal for the external purity which through the grace of God is yet continued unto us in the Worship of God The voice of Christ unto these New-England Churches is as unto the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2.25 That which thou hast already hold fast untill I come Keep and preserve pure Worship purity in the Worship of God preserve the primitive purity of these Churches according to their Reformed Constitution by Divine Institution that is pure instituted Churches purity in the Constitution of Churches is the ground-work of pure Worship Preserve a pure Ministry constituted exactly according to Gospel-order respecting all the Offices of it the Power the Investiture the Exercise the whole Work and Service of it such a Ministry as our Lord Jesus hath instituted and appointed Christs Ministry Preserve these pure Gospel-ordinances the Ordinances of Christ Admit of nothing as an Ordinance of Worship but that which Christ hath instituted and ordained and keep the pure Ordinances of Christ in the purity of them in the Gospel simplicity of them without any corrupt Mixtures in or with any Ordinance of Christ which is ordinarily the first inlet of corrupt Worship into most Reformed Churches O let us keep and cleave unto naked Ordinances simple Ordinances the Crystalline purity of the waters of the Sanctuary which are as they arise and flow from the Fountain of Divine Institution clear as Crystal Rev. 22.1 Preserve purity of Administration respecting both the Power Subject and Order of Administration Preserve pure and holy Order in the Administration of every Ordinance 1 Cor. 14.40 This holy Order is the Beauty of Churches Col. 2.5 Disorder it is a general Corruption in Worship it corrupteth both Churches Ordinances and Administrations and so it makes the House of God like a Den of Thieves Mat. 20.13 O Christians this purity of Worship it hath been the Eminency and Excellency of these Churches not yet lost as to the external Form of it It was Gods design and work not only to set up his Worship in New-England but to set it up in the purity of it by a purging refining Reformation God did therefore qualifie his Reformers with extraordinary Humility Sincerity and holy Zeal for purity of Worship and made extraordinary discoveries of his Minde and Will concerning his Worship unto them He did shew them the Pattern the Platform as I may say of his House that they might shew it unto us Ezek. 43.11 O how much then are we engaged to preserve purity of Worship Purity it is the Excellency of Worship it is the Beauty and glory of Churches it is that which maketh Churches shine as golden Candlesticks it makes Churches the Beauty of Holiness Psal 29.2 110.3 It makes the Church to appear in her Spiritual Beauty in her ornaments as a Spiritual Bride adorned and trimmed for her heavenly Bridegroom That purity of Worship which shall be after the destruction of Antichrist will be the chief perfection if not the consummation of the Gospel Dispensation Rev. 21.2.3 22.11 Then let us be moved to prize and preserve purity of Worship And to this end we must subject our selves our very Souls freely fully most sincerely unto the Power Authority Rule and Government of Christ as it is Regularly Ministerially exercised and administred in his Church in the Administration of all his O dinances Exalt Christ in the Exercise of his Kingly office in his Church whilst Christ is walking amidst the Churches holding the Stars in his right hand they will remain golden Candlesticks If we do debase Christ and set up our own wisdomes and wills in and about the Worship of God then farewell to purity of Worship Again if we will preserve purity of Worship we must keep up internal spiritual purity and

untill the holy Seed will be wholly corrupted and the Purity if not the Constitution of these Churches be greatly endangered if not lost It is sad to consider how much many Churches are already corrupted by the Licentiousness and Profaneness of many if not most of the Children of the Covenant Many if not most of the sins of Youth which are many of them some of the most flagitious sins of the Times are become the sins of Churches and the guilt of them doth lye heavily upon Churches with this heavy aggravation that they are committed through the neglect of duty towards them by the due exercise of Discipline If yet there be any hope in Israel concerning this thing as it is spoken of a very difficult Point of Reformation Ezra 10.2 I say if there be any hope of Reformation in this matter it must be by a holy religious saving Education of the Children of the Covenant and that both in Private and in Publick Doubtless there is an extraordinary obligation upon Covenant-Parents to train up their Children for God and a great motive it is unto all care labour and diligence unto such Religious Family-Education for such Parents to consider that their Children are Children of the Covenant and in this fense Gods Children as Ezek. 16.20 21. and the Children of the Promise Acts 2.39 and so under a special Promise of saving grace and blessing on the one hand it is a very sad and lamentable consideration unto any Religiou●●●ent to consider that his Children should through his neglect 〈◊〉 ●●ucation be instrumental by their Profaneness and wickedness 〈◊〉 corrput pollute and defile the Church of God O if ever you would do any thing for the recovery and Propagation of these Churches labour herein The corruption of Churches doth begin in Families and it there be no hope of Family Reformation there is no hope of Church Reformation It is indeed sad to consider how many Families are already grown incorrigible and incurable Labour to imitate faithful Abraham Gen. 18.19 But that which I chiefly intend in this Particular is Publick Eaucation if I may so call it Surely Churches do owe much duty unto the Children of the Covenant commonly styled The Children of the Church they are doubtless the Subject of the especial care and industry of the Presbytery to be watched over warned instructed admonished both Privately and Publickly Churches also are to own them and acknowledge them visibly as they do gradually grow up unto maturity and capacity unto Church-watch and Priviledges If they be in any wise under the Covenant and so of the visible Kingdome of Christ they must needs be under his Rule and Government which is no way rightly administred but by the regular exercise of Discipline in Instituted Churches O they have been very unhappy Controversies to these Churches whereby the vigorous exercise of Discipline unto these hath been so long demurred and delayed that very many of them are grown up unto such an height and strength in Profaneness that they have even broken and cast off the Yoke of Christs Government in his Church and are grown incorrigible and incurable by Discipline And truly this neglect is grown so great and general at least in some Churches that there is very little hope of the recovery of the vigorous effectual exercise of Discipline toward them So that the current of the corruption of the Generation is likely to break in like a flood upon the Churches at this breach and in short time to carry all before it It is one of the most fatal signs which is upon these Churches that this one evil is likely to prove both ruining and remediless and is the more sadly signal because we are no more sensible of it and no more concerned by our Prayers and Endeavours to Reform it Let me say The Progress of the Covenant the Propagation of Churches the Preservation of Churches under their deepest defection in their lowest condition it must be by the succession of an holy Seed Isa 6.13 So the holy Seed shall be the substance thereof If we Vnchurch them either Doctrinally or Practically by the general and total neglect of them and our duty toward them we do thereby lay the foundation of the Apostacy both of these Churches and of the whole Generation 5. Labour unto the promotion and progress of the work of Reformation by a full faithful and religious improvement of your Christian Liberty There is a Spirit and Principle of Liberty in the hearts of all sincere Christians whom Christ hath made free indeed Joh. 8.36 Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.17 There is a very large and necessary use and exercise of this Spirit and Principle of Liberty in our whole Christian Conversation especially in all our religious converse with God and men Gal. 5.13 For Brethren ye have been called unto liberty Our Christian Liberty is regulated most exactly and strictly by Rules and Precepts in the Word of God there is a compleat directory for the exercise of our Christian Liberty in the Word of God which is the perfect law of liberty Jam. 1.25 Our habitual conformity to this Law of Liberty is the chief Principle of Liberty and our Practical Subjection to the Law of Liberty is the chief Practise or Exercise of our Liberty This Liberty is alwayes acted under the Power and Authority of Divine Truth Joh. 8.22 Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Jam. 2.12 So speak and so do judged by the law of liberty This Christian Liberty doth not give men leave to believe Profess and Practise what they will as Libertines do vainly suppose and from thence plead for a Licentious Liberty of Conscience and a boundless Latitude both of Profession and Practise in matters of Religion True Christian Liberty holdeth Conscience fast bound to the Rule there are Priviledges and Immunities commonly called Christian Liberties in and about which our Christian Liberty is to be exercised as the proper Subject of this Liberty Those we must hold keep and stand fust in Gal. 5.1 Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free And we must be careful to exercise our Christian Liberty in a way of Gospel-order Liberty and Order are inseparable in the conversation of a Christian it is the Liberty of Order our Liberty is laid out and limitted by Order those therefore that do plead for Liberty unto the subversion of Order are Libertines and dangerous Enemies unto Liberty We must also exercise and improve our Christian Liberty in a way of full subjection unto the Power Rule and Government of Christ Ministerially exercised in his Church in the Administration of all his ordinances as the free Subjects of his Spiritual Kingdome Those who rise up in a way of opposition unto or rebellion against the Power of Christ regularly exercised in his Church under pretence of the defence of their Liberty are no true friends to true Liberty VVe