Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	day_n	observe_v	sabbath_n	4,146	5	9.8777	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61284	Christianity indeed, or, The well-disciplin'd Christian the delight of Christ shewing how believers in Christ ought to go in and out each before other in gospel-order, governing and being governed as the children of one Father / by Fr. Stanley.	Stanley, Fr. (Francis), d. 1696.	1667 (1667)	Wing S5234; ESTC R37591	67,935	176

be leavened and that for such publick and scandalous sins by which God is so highly dishonored and the Church so greatly reproached The Church cannot be purged untill the guilty person be punished Christian Reader As touching this matter I will presume to take the place of a Moderator for I have heard the question debated among able men who in the main agree and design the self same thing there 's only a form of words betwixt them both agree the sinner shall be called into question The one admonishes him for his evill in the Name of the Lord The other passeth a sentence against him by the power of the same Lord both rebuke the person for the wickednesse done both bear their testimony against the crime in order to clear the Church of his Transgression both dis-priviledge the Transgressor of Communion untill he appears a truly humbled person and gives the Congregation full satisfaction so that in truth upon the whole matter there is no material substance that 's worthy to bear the name of a difference so that for my own part for peace sake I could consent either wayes provided the best care be taken by all that are concerned That Gods Honour be preserved all scandall be removed the Truths Innocency delivered and the Churches Reputation vindicated 3. What is to be understood and observed in the prrosecution of Discipline FIrst There is steps and Circumstances to be observed in reproving 1. Timely 2. Affectionately 3. A private fault privately 4. To design the restoring the sinner from iniquity Concerning Excommunication let this order be observed 1. Let it be done in Christs Name and Authority 2. See that sinner be convicted legally 3. Let the Counsell and Blessing of God be sought fervently 4. To the end the flesh may be destroyed and the spirit saved in the day of the Lord. Repentance consists of four parts 1. Contrition of the heart 2. Confession of the mouth 3. Reformation of the life 4. Restitution for the wrong done An order in forgiveness 1. It must be groundedly 2. Freely 3. Fully 4. Perpetually There is a method to be observed in Prayer as our Lord hath taught us saying when we pray pray after this manner When Duties want their Order and Circumstance they are oft-times rejected instead of being accepted for 't is evident God requires equal submission to order as he doth to the duty it self The Wise man Solomon saith He would put his Proverbs in order Eccles 12.9 In all Gods former services about the Ark Alter and Sanctuary the Lord precisely required all persons to attend respectively their Offices and places and that all things should exactly be set in order and appointed to their several uses and for the breach in Order 1 Chr. 19.13 the Lord in his anger caused some deeply to suffer The Apostle Paul speaking of Churchassembling and about Prophesying and touching the Lords Supper he sums up all with this charge Let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 The same Apostle beholds rejoyceth commends and praises the order of the Colossians Doubtless there ought to be some method in Preaching 'T is great pitty that divine and pure matter should want its beauty and ornament of form and order St. Paul commands Timothy to study to shew himself a workman rightly dividing the Word of truth There is a Rule to be observed in hearing 1. Preparation to hear 2. Attention in hearing 3. Meditation after hearing 4. Supplication before and after a blessing There are steps and degrees in believing 1. The faith of credence 2. The faith of adherence 3. The faith of endurance 4. Of stedfast reliance A Rule to be observed in suffering 1. To have a good cause 2. A right call 3. A good conscience 4. A pure end To be short there ought to be an order in all obedience in respect of matter manner end and circumstance for the righteous God as truely-punishes for the breach of order as he doth for neglect of services As order is the ornament of profession so I may call it the master-piece of Religion for both Gods precepts for it and punishments upon the neglect of it witness the same There ought to be a strict order in the commemoration of the Lords Supper even to hold and keep it with such observation 1 Cor. 11.28 as may answer to the first institution and in presuming to come to such holy Mysteries there ought to be great heart-preparations and self examinations 1. In unity of heart judgement and affection 2. In purity of life and conversation 3. Reverently as being at the Table and in the presence of the God of Heaven Psal 86.11 4 Having an eye to the end which is the victory Christ hath obtained for every Christian 5. To act in charity and freely because love was the first cause of our felicity 6. Rejoycingly as men having interest in the spirituall conquest over our souls adversary and as men purchased from everlasting misery 7. Thankfully humbly accepting reverently and chearfully embracing and with thankfulness partaking of those soul-benefits conveyed and received in that Administration SABBATH SOme brief Rules for the better order and observation of the Lords Day or First Day Sabbath Or if I may not call it a Sabbath I know no reason Deut. 5.15 Col. 1.12 13. But if the Jews were obliged to keep a Sabbath in remembrance of a temporall deliverance from temporall bondage Christians should be much more bound to observe a day as strict as a Sabbath in memoriall and remembrance of their spirituall and eternall deliverance from spirituall and eternall bondage For doubtless Christians are at great losses because of so much remisness and want of strictness in the First Dayes service First Then let the Lords People be stirring betimes upon the Lords Day called so by way of Eminency having a greater work to do than on other days a work attended either with greater blessings if religiously performed or with greater damages if neglected or misimproved Secondly Let them make serious preparation remembring whose service it is and into whose presence they come considering well what they go about and how nearly it respects their eternall Estate Eccles 5.1 Thirdly When they come into the Church Assembly let them attend diligently and behave themselves reverently and that before the Lord with due and humble respect to the administration and Majesty of the Word Fourthly Let them with all watchfulness and holy indignation strive to avoid those unseemly and uncomely behaviours tempers and gestures of lukewarmness coldness drowsie heavy and dull and sleepy carriages in Gods Divine services which is dishonourable to their persons and also unprofitable to their souls Fifthly Let them Meditate upon what they have heard For although the Lords People of the Congregationall way are necessitated to take the most pains to hear the Word in respect of distance of place yet they have one priviledge being improved may yeeld

and fervent prayer of a Righteous man availeth much being mixed with Faith obtaineth Vertue and Power from God to assist and us to order and govern our selves according to his Word Isa 5.16 and that he would be graciously pleased to enable and quicken us to our duties to teach us to number our days to improve us by his Spirit supply us with his grace relieve us by his power protect us by his providence to furnish us with Might in the Inner-man to know our selves to rule our own houses to command our own spirits that we may be patterns of Order and Government to other believers and that he would be intreated to learn us spiritual Art and holy Skill to defend and secure our selves our souls and Soul-Treasures against all the wiles and policies of our grand enemies that having the Rule over our own spirit we may be as him that hath taken a City and obtained the Conquest over the great Adversary and so by Gods grace we may be safely conducted through all Combats and Temptations and at last received into Everlasting Mansions 6. By Exclusion To exclude all false Counsels foolish conceits and vain imaginations from the heart Ephes 4.31 22. and to banish all lurking lusts and absurd pretences from the Court of the Inner-man But in order to the Executing and Effecting this good Work let every soul apart call and keep a private and particular Court within the limits of his own personal dominion and let this judgement be holden as Gods spirit hath given Charge and Commission and so to exercise the power of a just and righteous government and to bring every word and action into judgement and because the heart is deceitfull and will oft-times disguise it self and evade the truth and is full of windings and turnings Pro. 19.21 and false pleadings Let every one take an exact and legall way of tryall and a strict and formal way of Judgement and so proceed to Examination Probation Pro. 28.26 Condemnation and Execution and let all be done according to Law and Truth For a man may do Injustice upon himself Let Conscience sit as Judge for Conscience will side with the Lord and judge for God and for the souls good Let the pure Law of God conteined in his Word be the Rule to proceed by let the knowing and understanding part be the witnesses to give in the testimony to every action and against every Circumstance of evill doing let all the faculties of Soul and body be as Jurors and call in every miscariage to make up the clearnesse of the Evidence which is the ground and guide of Justice Let the Law and the Offence be equally compared and neither bosome nor secret sins be respected that the Old man with his deeds may be cast and condemned and the body of sin executed and destroyed and buried in the grave of Oblivion never to have any more Resurrection Either to disquiet our peace here or to evidence against us hereafter knowing the terrour of the Lord moves me to be earnest to perswade 1 Cor. 11.31 For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord neither condemned with the World Let us therefore beware and sin no more for behold the great Judge stands before the door 7. By Execution To put personal Discipline into due Execution without which all is nothing for practice is the life of the Law for if the practick part be neglected the blessing will not be obtained and that because the condition is unperformed Let all persons learn to command and rule themselves and especially Superiours who should command and rule others For if a man knows not how to command himself how should he command Inferiours and as the Apostle speaks If a man knows not how to rule his own house how should he take care of the Church of God According to the old saying If every man would rightly order and govern one 't is the ready way to reform the whole Congregation I hope the words I have written touching personal Regulation will not be thought so Impertinent but that they being timely applyed sutably improved may tend to the furthering and establishing a Righteous Government And as I have been speaking of some particulars touching the governing a mans life so I would adde a few words by way of Remembrance what is to be set in order at or before a mans death I will ground my speech upon the words of the Prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah Isai 38.1 who was commanded to set his House in order because he should not live but dye we being all under the sentence of Mortality become concerned to set our houses in order speedily Doubtlesse as Hezekiah was a King he was under a great care to set and leave things in order within his dominion and as he was head of a Family to set things in order within his Family-Jurisdiction and as he was a servant and child of God to set his accounts in order according to his Will and Word so is every Christian concerned within the compasse of his place and power as he may have the charge of a Congregation or the charge of a Family and the charge of his own soul to discharge our trust and do our duty and so set our house in order before we dye Hezekiah's pattern is a good precedent for every mans direction to prepare our reckoning to form and present our accounts Mark well what he saith in Verse the third Isa 38.3 in giving up his Accounts to the Lord saying 1. I have walked before thee in truth 2. And have done that with a perfect heart Thirdly And that which is good in thy sight This is but a brief and short breviate but it contains an excellent and full account 1. I have not talked but I have walked not before others but before thee not in Error but in Truth 2. Not in shew but in heart not with a double and impure heart but with a upright and perfect heart 3. He doth not say he would and will do but I have done not that which is vain but that which is good not in the sight of men but in the sight of God To be short let these words be laid to heart For God is exact and will view every mans Account 2 Cor. 5.10 for we must all appear at the Judgement Seat See that ye have prepared a good account to present in the day of Accounts 2. As every Christian is to set things in order to account with God Rom. 14.12 so he is to leave behind him some examples of Piety to the World that his orderly life zeal for godlinesse and his acts of charity when he is no more may perfume his memory and be like Abels Sacrifice to speak after he dyes and may be worthy of Imication to Church-family and Neighbour-hood Nation 3. As touching temporal substance that the Lord hath made a man Master of or