Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n
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A60354
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A sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir John Shorter, Knight, Lord Mayor of the city of London at Grocers-Hall by Samuel Slater ...
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Slater, Samuel, d. 1704.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing S3975; ESTC R10144
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44,686
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50
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of the Day of Christ. The first Day of the Week which is in Scripture called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Day Rev. 1.10 I was in the Spirit on the Lords Day This is the Day wherein that Jesus who died for our Offences arose again for our Justification This is the Day wherein he was let out of Prison as one that had fully discharged the Debt we owed for which he as Surety was arrested and clap'd up This is the Day whereon he finished the work of our Redemption and gloriously Triumphed over Death and Hell all the Enemies of our Salvation This was the Day whereon he was declared to be the Son of God with Power This is the Day which the Lord hath made and separated from the rest of the Days This is the Day which the Apostles and Primitive Christians observed and met upon for Divine Worship and Christ did honour those their Meetings with his Personal Appearance among them This is that Day which is now to be particularly remembred and kept holy by us Read what God saith Ezek. 20.12 I gave them my Sabbaths to be a sign between me and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them And again v. 20. Hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. What God there speaks concerning the Iewish Sabbaths is true and to be affirmed of the Christian Sabbath It is a sign between Christ and us and by our keeping of that we own him for our Lord-Redeemer for our Prince and Saviour a polluting of that Day is a practical renouncing of Christ. And it hath been and always will be found that Religion gains or loseth in a Nation or City Godliness flourisheth or withers according as the Inhabitants are more strict or remiss in their Observation of that Day Therefore it concerns all Persons and particularly Governours whether in Families or in Cities to be exceeding careful to this Purpose And I do lay this upon you as a burthen of Duty that you do not suffer the Lords Day to be profaned either by opening of Shops and following of Trades or by Sports and playing in Streets or Fields or by Tipling and Gaming in Publick Houses for Entertainment Follow the Pattern which that excellent Governour set you Nehem. 13.15 c. Be you as careful for the observation of Christs Day as others are for the observation of their own Days So may you with an humble confidence pray as that good Man did Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy Mercy Secondly Do all that you can against the abounding and growing Immoralities of Men. His Majesty hath graciously been pleased to issue out his Royal Declaration for a Liberty of Conscience but not a word for Licentiousness of Life But what multitudes take that lawless Liberty which neither God nor Man allow It is strange to see what flagitious Wickednesses are redundant among us what Abominations of all sorts and sizes O London how art thóu fallen from what thou wast and some of us can well remember thee to have been After a dreadful Conflagration thy Houses are raised out of their Ashes more glorious but many of thine Inhabitants are grown more vitious Instead of a lovely beautiful Face of Religion what and how much of the Power of Ungodliness is visible and apparent among us Instead of reading the sacred Bible and other good Books Catechizing Children and Servants singing of Davids Psalms what horrid Oaths and Curses are there to be heard in our Streets as if without them Men could not speak What more than swinish Drunkenness What brutish and monstrous Whoredom All which are a reproach to the English Nation a dishonour to the Christian Name and a disparagement to the precious everlasting Gospel which hath for so long a time been preached and profest among us Mend those things which you can and mourn under what you cannot mend I beseech you labour to stem this Tide of Profaneness lest overflowing Sin be quickly followed with an overflowing Scourge If there be as there are those that will not live like Christians soberly righteously and godly let not them have liberty to live worse than Heathen Make them know that though there be a great Degeneracy yet still there is some fear of God in this place And I beseech you to do this in your Day which how short it may be none knows All your Hours are golden Ones and it is pitty that any of them should be lost Blessed be God that you have begun I read your Precept my Lord and rejoyced in it see that it be put in execution Let it not be brutum fulmen Do not only shake the Rod over the Backs of obstinate Offenders but lay it on and make them feel it unless they will grow better Make them know you are as much resolved for Justice as they are for Wickedness And do not only command and imploy others who may wink and be bribed and some of them be as deep in Guilt as any but do you and your Brethren act your selves Let inferiour Officers have your Zeal and Activity for their President and Encouragement And having begun well go on and hold out to the last Let nothing hinder your Progresses cool your Zeal nor blunt your Edge Let your Bow abide in Strength And Oh! that in the work and duty of your Office the Arms of your Hands may be made strong and kept from flagging by the everlasting Arms of the God of Iacob that so your Resolutions for God may not abate any thing of their Vigour nor any of your righteous and religious Purposes be broken off Be of good Courage and shew your selves Men. And if others dare to be bold and audacious and impudent in those things which are Evil let them see that you also dare to be Good and to do Justice and to walk with an upright Heart in a perfect way Regard not the Face nor Fury not the Flouts and Jears not the Envy nor Malice of those that bear ill will to you The great God will own you and stand by you and I do not doubt but His Majesty who under God hath given you the Power will be ready to encourage you in the due Managing and Improvement of it Look carefully to the Principle you act from that it be Right and to the End you level and aim at that it be Noble and to the Way you walk in for the attaining of that End and then hold on that Way and grow stronger and stronger more and more resolved and active though there be in it never so many roaring Lions and hissing Serpents And I counsel you to be much in Prayer certainly praying Magistrates are great Blessings when Debauchees are Plagues and Curses You will be often waiting upon his Majesty to receive Orders and Commands from him Go more