Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n
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A26804
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Sermons preach'd on several occasions by William Bates.
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Bates, William, 1625-1699.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing B1122; ESTC R27748
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111,901
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397
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some are denominated his Children for by this Evangelical Constitution God is pleased to receive Believers into a filial Relation Indeed where there is not a cordial Consent and Subjection to the Terms of the Covenant visible Profession and the receiving the External Seals of it will be of no advantage but the publick serious owning of the Gospel entitles a Person to be of the Society of Christians and Filius and Foederatus are all one Thirdly There is Sonship that arises from supernatural Regeneration that is the communicating a new Nature to Man whereby there is a holy and blessed Change in the directive and commanding Faculties the Understanding and Will and in the Affections and consequently in the whole Life This is wrought by the Efficacy of the Word and Spirit and is called by our Saviour Regeneration because it is not our Original Carnal Birth but a Second and Celestial 'T is with the new Man in Grace as with an Infant in Nature that has the essential Parts that compose a Man a Soul endowed with all its Faculties a Body with all its Organs and Parts but not in the Vigor of mature Age. Thus renewed Holiness in a Christian is compleat and entire in its Parts but not in Perfection of Degrees there is an universal Inclination to all that is holy just and good and a universal Aversion from Sin tho the Executive Power be not equal And regenerate Christians are truly called the Children of God for as in Natural Generation there is communicated a Principle of Life and sutable Operations from whence the Title and Relation of a Father arises so in Regeneration there are derived such holy and heavenly Qualities to the Soul as constitute a Divine Nature in Man whereby he is Partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself from hence he is a Child of God and has an Interest and Propriety in his Favour Power and Promises and all the Good that flows from them and a Title to the Eternal Inheritance II. I will shew what is included in our Love to the Children of God First The Principle of this Love is Divine The Soul is purified through the Spirit to unfeigned Love of the Brethren Naturally the Judgment is corrupted and the Will depraved that carnal Respects either of Profit or Pleasure are the quick and sensible Incitements of Love and till the Soul be cured of the sensual Contagion the Inclination can never be directed and the Desires fastned on the supernatural Image of God in his Saints As Holiness in the Creature is a Ray derived from the infinite Beauty of God's Holiness so the Love of Holiness is a Spark from the sacred Fire of his Love St. John exhorts Christians Let us love one another for Love is of God Natural Love among Men is by his general Providence but a gracious Love to the Saints is by his special Influence The natural Affection must be baptized with the Holy Ghost as with Fire to refine it to a Divine Purity Secondly The Qualifications of this Love are as follow 1. It is sincere and cordial it does not appear only in Expressions from the Tongue and Countenance but springs from the Integrity of the Heart 'T is stiled unfeigned Love of the Brethren 't is a Love not in Word and Tongue only but in Deed and Truth A counterfeit formal Affection set off with artificial Colours is so far from being pleasing to God the Searcher and Judg of Hearts that 't is infinitely provoking to him 2. 'T is pure the attractive Cause of it is the Image of God appearing in them Our Saviour assures us that Love shall be gloriously rewarded that respects a Disciple upon that account as a Disciple and a righteous Man as a righteous Man The holy Love commanded in the Gospel is to Christians for their Divine Relation as the Children of God as the Members of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost 3. From hence it is universal extended to all the Saints The Church is composed of Christians that are different in their Gifts and Graces and in their external Order some excel in Knowledg and Zeal and Love in active Graces others in Humility Meekness and Patience that sustain and adorn them in Sufferings some are in a higher Rank others are in humble Circumstances as in the visible World things are placed sutably to their Natures the Stars in the Heavens Flowers in the Earth and our special Respects are due to those whom the Favour of God has dignified above others and in whom the Brightness and Power of Grace shines more clearly for according as there are more Reasons that make a Person deserving Love the degrees of Love should rise in proportion But a dear Affection is due even to the lowest Saints for all have Communion in the same holy Nature and are equally instated in the same blessed Alliance 4. It must be fervent not only in Truth but in a degree of Eminency St. Peter joins the two Qualifications See that ye love one another with a pure Heart fervently Our Saviour sets before us his own Pattern as a Pillar of Fire to direct and inflame us This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you As I have loved you Admirable Example His Love was singular and superlative a Love that saves and astonishes us at once for he willingly gave his precious Life for our Ransom This we should endeavour to resemble tho our highest Expressions of Love and Compassion to the Saints are but a weak and imperfect Imitation of his Divine Perfection I shall add farther This Love includes all kinds of Love 1. The Love of Esteem correspondent to the real Worth and special Goodness of the Saints 'T is one Character of a Citizen of Heaven that in his Eyes a vile Person is contemned however set off by the Glory of the World and the Ornaments of the present State that as a false Mask conceal their foul Deformity to carnal Persons but he honours them that fear the Lord tho disfigured by Calumnies tho obscur'd and depress'd by Afflictions and made like their blessed Head in whom there was no Form nor Comeliness in the Judgment of Fools In our Valuation Divine Grace should turn the Scales against all the natural or acquired Perfections of Body or Mind Beauty Strength Wit Eloquence human Wisdom against all the external Advantages of this Life Nobility Riches Power and whatever is admired by a carnal Eye The Judgment and Love of God should regulate ours A Saint is more valued by God than the highest Princes nay than the Angels themselves considered only with respect to their spiritual Nature He calls them his peculiar Treasure his Jewels the first-Fruits of the Creatures sacred for his Use and Glory in comparison of whom the rest of the World are but Dregs a corrupt Mass. They are stiled his Sons being Partakers of that Life of which he is the Author and
Pattern And what are all the Titles on Earth compared with so Divine a Dignity 2. The Love of Desire of their present and future Happiness The Perfection of Love consists more in the Desire than in the Effects and the continued fervent Prayers that the Saints present to God for one another are the Expressions of their Love 3. The Love of Delight in spiritual Communion with them All the Attractives of human Conversation Wit Mirth Sweetness of Behaviour and wise Discourse cannot make any Society so dear and pleasant to one that is a Lover of Holiness as the Communion of Saints David whose Breast was very sensible of the tender Affections of Love and Joy tells us That the Saints in the Earth the Excellent were the chief Object of his Delight And consequent to this there is a cordial Sympathy with them in their Joys and Sorrows being Members of the same Body and having an Interest in all their Good or Evil. 'T is observable when the Holy Spirit describes the sweetest human Comforts that are the present Reward of the godly Man the Enjoyment of his Estate in the dear Society of his Wife and Children there is a Promise annex'd that sweetens all the rest That he shall see the Good of Jerusalem and Peace upon Israel Without this all Temporal Comforts are mix'd with bitter Displeasure to him There is an eminent Instance of this in Nehemiah whom all the Pleasures of the Persian Court could not satisfy whilst Jerusalem was desolately miserable 4. The Love of Service and Beneficence that declares it self in all outward Offices and Acts for the Good of the Saints And these are various some are of a sublimer Nature and concern their Souls as spiritual Counsel and Instruction compassionate Admonition and Consolation the confirming them in Good and the fortifying them against Evil the doing whatever may preserve and advance the Life and Vigor of the inward Man others respect their Bodies and Temporal Condition directing them in their Affairs protecting them from Injuries supplying their Wants universally assisting them for their tolerable Passage through the World And all these Acts are to be chearfully perfomed there is more Joy in conferring than receiving a Benefit because Love is more exercised in the one than the other In short the highest Effect of Love that comprizes all the rest is to die for the Brethren and this we ought to do when the Honour of God and Welfare of the Church require it Hereby perceive we the Love of God because he laid down his Life for us and we ought to lay down our Lives for the Brethren If Christians thus loved one another the Church on Earth would be a lively Image of the blessed Society above III. The Love of God and Obedience to his Commands the Product of it are to be considered First The Love of God has its Rise from the Consideration of his amiable Excellencies that render him infinitely worthy of the highest Affection and from the blessed Benefits of Creation Preservation Redemption and Glorification that we may expect from his pure Goodness and Mercy This is the most clear and essential Character of a Child of God and most peculiarly distinguishes him from unrenewed Men however accomplished by Civil Vertues Now the internal Exercise of Love to God in the Valuation of his Favour as that which is better than Life in earnest Desires of Communion with him in ravishing Joy in the Testimonies and Assurance of his Love in mourning for what is displeasing to him is in the secret of the Soul but with this there is inseparably join'd a true and visible Declaration of our Love in Obedience to him This is the Love of God the most real and undeceitful Expression of it that we keep his Commandments The Obedience that springs from Love is 1. Uniform and universal for the two principal and necessary Effects of Love are an ardent Desire to please God and an equal Care not to displease him in any thing Now the Law of God is the Signification of his Soveraign and Holy Will and the doing of it is very pleasing to him both upon the account of the Subjection of the Creature to his Authority and Conformity to his Purity He declares that Obedience is better than the most costly Sacrifice There is an absolute peremptory Repugnance between Love to him and despising his Commands And from thence it follows that Love inclines the Soul to obey all God's Precepts not only those of easy Observation but the most difficult and distasteful to the Carnal Appetites for the Authority of God runs through all and his Holiness shines in all Servile Fear is a partial Principle and causes an unequal Respect to the Divine Law it restrains from Sins of greater Guilt from such disorderly and dissolute Actions at which Conscience takes Fire but others are indulged it excites to good Works of some kind but neglects others that are equally necessary But Love regards the whole Law in all its Injunctions and Prohibitions not meerly to please our selves that we may not feel the stings of an accusing Conscience but to please the Lawgiver 2. The Obedience of Love is accurate and this is a natural Consequence of the former The Divine Law is a Rule not only for our outward Conversation but of our Thoughts and Affections of all the interior workings of the Soul that are open before God Thus it requires Religious Service not only in the external Performance but those reverent holy Affections those pure Aims wherein the Life and Beauty the Spirit and true Value of Divine Worship consists Thus it commands the Duties of Equity Charity and Sobriety all Civil and Natural Duties for Divine Ends to please and glorify God It forbids all kinds and degrees of Sin not only gross Acts but the inward Lustings that have a tendency to them Now the Love of God is the Principle of spiritual Perfection 'T is called the fulfilling of the Law not only as it is a comprehensive Grace but in that it draws forth all the active Powers of the Soul to obey it in an exact manner This causes a tender sense of our Failings and a severe Circumspection over our Ways that nothing be allowed that is displeasing to the Divine Eyes Since the most excellent Saints are God's chiefest Favourites Love makes the holy Soul to strive to be like him in all possible degrees of Purity Thus St. Paul in whom the Love of Christ was the imperial commanding Affection declares his zealous endeavour to be conformable to the Death of Christ in dying to Sin as Christ died for Sin and that he might attain to the Resurrection of the Dead that Perfection of Holiness that is in the immortal State 3. The Obedience of Love is chosen and pleasant This is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous Those that are Strangers to this Heavenly Affection imagine that