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	member_n	true_a	6,801	5	5.8766	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51834	The blessed estate of them that die in the Lord opened in a sermon at the funerals of Mistres Jane Blackwel, wife of Master Elidad Blackwel, pastor of Andrew Undershaft, London / by Tho. Manton.	Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1656 (1656)	Wing M518; ESTC R30511	23,515	42

them see you make it your care to practise your own Doctrine We are set forth for signes Gods eys and mens are upon us do worthily and becoming your station It s true God comes neer when he separates those that are so neer and dear one to another and we ought to lay it to heart but that wherin you are like to err is in too much sorrow and dejection of spirit which may be your wisdom to labour to prevent as being seemly for a Christian and a Preacher to shew his moderation We finde that Abraham mourned for Sarah and he had great cause so to do for she was a very good companion to him in all his travels and troubles she was very pleasing in his eye in regard of her beauty she brought him a child in his old age the son of the promise she is honored in Scripture above all other women of her age the time how long she lived is set down which is not done for any other woman At her death Abraham mourns but very moderately he wept for her but we finde no excess in the measure or in the time of his grief and he is a good pattern David weeps for the death of his child while it was alive for he feared it would dye and the thing he feared came upon him but when they thought that upon the death of his child his tears would have risen to a flood it was suddenly a low ebb and he gives herein instruction to all mourners and to you teaching you to say wherefore should I now fast and weep any longer I cannot bring her back again I shall go to her but she shall return to me and plainly asserts that none should mourn more then they can give a good reason for why should I now mourn you know it s no other then we ought dayly to expect and look for here below vicissitudes namely and changes And you will soon meet her again in heaven where as I conceive with Austin she shall be Notissima tibi And in the mean time in your injoying Christ you injoy her still in him And all the helps advantages sweetnesses counsels consolations satisfactions defences carings cordials contentments whatever was lovely in her whatever you loved her for you still injoy in him either by the administration of other mediums or immediately from himself and what comes from God immediately is much sweeter You have cause rather to be thankful you enjoyed her so long then sorrowful you can on earth enjoy her no longer I know not whether her Religion worth and holiness will serve more to aggravate your loss or to allay your sorrow 'T is sad to think you have lost such a loving humble godly and meet companion But remember that Because she was such an one you have the more confidence that she is blessed and is gone from you to better company even to the company of Saints free from all sin and all sorrow full of holiness and happiness of Angels too of Jesus Christ too the King of Saints the Lord of Angels he that so loved us he that did so much suffered so much for us he whom the fathers before his incarnation so longed to see he whom every believing soul so pants and breaths after Which that it may the more sensibly appear I shall here take occasion to subjoyn her just and true Character The Character of Mistress Jane Blackwel SHe was a Gentlewoman born of the house of the Wintringhams a family of eminency and note in Yorkshire Educated and trained up from her childhood till married under Dr. Chaderton Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge that famous godly man and her neer Kinsman by reason whereof she was even in her yonger yeers so grounded in knowledge season'd with Grace and accomplish'd with abiliments and endowments every way that she was a most rare and incomparable companion for a Minister Some things there were wherein she was exceeding exemplary As she was a woman of a marvellous humble spirit That all who knew her and conversed with her admired in her and it was abundantly evident and apparent in her countenance speeches gestures apparel and every way A simple single plain-hearted woman An Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile A merciful pitiful charitable woman Open hearted open-handed too to her power yea and beyond her power spared it from her own back and belly to cloath and feed others gladly embraced occasions when offered yea greedily sought out occasions Her love was not verbal onely such as that James speaks of Go and be cloathed go and be warmed c. But real she refreshed the bowels of many The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon her and she made the widows heart to sing for joy When the Scots were shut up and starved by thousands at Westminster she very frequently visited them and ministred to them Yea bought divers of them with her own mony gracious good men whom she fed and cloathed and disposed of into families and ways wherein they live to this day very comfortably When the Scotch Ministers and others were under restraint in the Tower she was not ashamed of their chain but diligently sought them out as soon as she heard of them and was all the time of their long confinement a great support and comfort to them she had not onely learned the Heathens lesson to lay up but the Christians lesson too to lay out according as the necessities of the poor members of Jesus Christ called for it A true Mourner One that laid to heart and was affected deeply affected with the sins and abominations of the times with the miseries likewise and distresses of the Church and people of God made the Churches sorrows her own sorrows had bowels of compassion in her to lament and mourn over the afflicted condition of the Church as if it were her own condition Remembred them in bonds as bound with them and them that suffered adversity as being her self also in the body The heart breaking miseries of poor Scotland broke her heart She could not speak of them without many tears A fixed established grounded Christian Not like those the Apostle speaks of Ephes. 4.14 That were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} like Clouds in the Air or like Ships on the Sea toss'd and hurried up and down with every wind and wave driven to and fro this way and that way but like a house built upon a Rock like a tree firmly rooted a fixed Star no wandring Star wandring from one opinion to another and from one way to another but a fixed Star kept to her old Principles and to her old practises the good old way the way that the Patriarchs and the Prophets and the Apostles and the holy men and women in the old time 1 Pet. 3.5 went to Heaven in the way of sanctifying Gods Sabbaths the way of frequenting publique Ordinances the way of performing Family and Closet-duties the way of reading

out when you lanch into the other world a wicked man comes to himself when he comes to dye At his latter end he shall be a fool Jer. 17.11 he was ever a fool but then he shall be one in the conviction and acknowledgement of his own Conscience his own heart will make him cry out Oh fool mad-man that I was to be contented with such slight evidences for Eternity You see then it is good to be upon sure terms and to get our union with Christ so cleer and sensible that when we walk in the valley of the shadow of death we may not be afraid Psal. 23. As to the frame of your hearts it is a harder matter to dye well then you are aware of if you would dye well live well otherwise you do but provide matter of dispair and sorrow for your latter end It is every ones wish Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous Numb. 23. but it is not every ones happiness If you would dye in the Lord you had need to have Promises ready and your faith well exercised that you may have good proof of it before it comes to stead you in death In bello non licet his peccare As in war so in death there is no erring twice then you are to throw your last cast for everlasting woe or weale to do that which you never did before you had need of armour of proof to deal with the last enemy How foolishly do they deal that defer all to this hour are then to get faith when they should reduce it into practice Faith is a Grace wrought by degrees to strength and perfection now to put it to the hardest tryal at first is absurd and irrational You should have your Evidences cleer your promises ready your experiences at hand that you may be able to comfort your selves and too plead for God and to speak to the standers-by of the long proof you have had of his being a good Master and a gracious father to you How is it then Are all things set at rights between God and your souls Have you laid up comforts for this great day of expence Is your dying speech ready Are you provided of experiences whereby to commend the Mercifulness and faithfulness of your Redeemer Can you say that you have tryed him often and he never failed you all your days If it be so indeed your great work is done 3. Use To encourage the children of God to be more willing to dye Are you afraid to enter upon your own blessedness and glory Will you shun Christs company when he desires yours Love brought Christ out of heaven that he might be with us he thought of it before the world was Prov. 8.31 and longed for the time in effect saying When will it come We are to go from earth to heaven from conversing with men to converse with Angels and why so loath to remove What could Christ expect upon his coming into the world but hard usage but labour and griefs and shame and death he came to taste the Vinegar and the Gall we are called to the feast of love to taste of hidden Manna and the Rivers of pleasure that flow in his presence If you love Christ why should you be unwilling to be in the arms of Christ to be there where he is beholding his glory love is an affection of union it desireth to be with the party loved and can you be unwilling to be dissolved and to be with Christ Death is the Chariot that is to carry you into his presence Jacobs spirit revived when he saw the Waggons which Joseph sent to carry him into AEgypt Gen. 45.27 what is there in the world to be compared with heaven either there must be something in the world to detain us or we are frighted at the terribleness of the passage or else there is a contempt of what is to come You cannot say any thing of the world is more worthy then Christ in this sense you renounced father and mother brothers and sisters wife and children and friends when you were first acquainted with him It was the language of your souls then whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee Psal. 73.25 Did you dissemble then Or have you found cause since to retreat and begrudge your affections to him Christ puts you to the tryal when sickness comes he hath sent h●s waggons to see if you will stand to your word Is it the terribleness of the passage doth nature grudge at the thought of a dissolution where is your faith death is yours 1 Cor. 3.18 Your friend your advantage Christ hath assured you of it will you trust his word you love him little when you have no confidence in what he saith Or is it contempt of things to come Then why is all this cost why came Christ to lay down his soul to purchase that which you care not for what needs all this waste Christians hear for the time to come we know not how soon we may be sent for and put to the tryal it is good to be resolved that we may say the sooner the better 4 Let this comfort us concerning our friends that dye in the Lord 1 Thess. 4.18 Comfort one another with these words This is proper Christian Scripture comfort Heathens to comfort one another can onely say that death is the common passage out of this world that all that are born must dye But Christians can comfort one another upon better terms that they that sleep in Jesus are blessed and shall we whine at their preferment that we shall all meet again in the other world that a day will come when the Captain of our Salvation will have his great rendezvouz and the head of the Church call all the Saints into one Congregation Psal. 1.5 and the whole flock shall follow the great shepherd of the sheep into their everlasting fold triumphing and saying Oh death where is thy sting Oh grave where is thy victory These are comforts proper for Christians especially for Ministers that are messengers of comfort to others that have more frequent advantages of meditation upon those priviledges then others have Shall we murmur and yield to sinkings of heart when God hath made a breach upon our relations how will this disparage our Doctrine and make others suspect the comforts which we reach forth to them upon like occasions Thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees but now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled Job 4.4 5. To comfort others and faint our selves is to bring a discredit upon what we propound to them Remember the glory of God is concerned in your behaviour under this tryal and the honor of your Ministry Let your Christian friends know there is a reality in what you have held forth for their support in like case Let