Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	communion_n	member_n	occasional_a	3,184	5	13.6171	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66346	The excellency of a publick spirit set forth in a sermon preach'd (since much enlarged) at the funeral of that late reverend divine Dr. Samuel Annesley, who departed this life Dec. 31, 1696 in the 77th year of his age : with a brief account of his life and death / by Daniel Williams.	Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716.	1697 (1697)	Wing W2648; ESTC R26373	66,824	154

or ascribed the honour of past successes or performances to your selves Pour out your complaints and your apprehensions of your own weakness before the Lord who is full of pity and faithful and whose strength is manifest in our weakness 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. Be much in the contemplations of Heaven review your own experiences of seasonable sufficient supports when your fears were as great as at present and attentively think it 's but a little while and my work is over He that shall come will come and will not tarry and all the promises of perseverance were made to Souls in Eminent Service by doing and suffering which you may safely apply to your selves expecting those greater Consolations and Supplies which God will not disappoint you in 4. To useful Persons inclining to Remisness in the Service of their Generation The greatest part of this Discourse being so much directed to your Case I shall only advise you to renew your Covenant with God in Christ. Reflect on your selves what you found when vigorously useful and what you feel now in this declining Frame Enquire what forfeitures you have made of the Spirits quickening influences or what lust begins to invade your Souls or what Carnal thing is setting up for an Idol Pray earnestly for exciting Grace and be much in such Soliloquies as these Am not I a Redeemed Sinner and shall I neglect the interests of my Redeemer Shall I disregard the end of my Being break my Vows be false to my trust Is it not in well-doing that I grow weary Are my Talents less accountable for than they were or have I now more reason to think that my Abilities were not given for Publick use Where shall I stop if I recover not What shall I be doing the residue of my time if I cease to be useful What may I meet with to awaken me out of this slothful Sleep Do others less need my help or have I the leave of God to be remisser Can I think Christ a worse Master than before or Heaven less worthy of my pains Dare I commend the unprofitable part of Mankind that I am thus about to justify or condemn the eminently useful whom now I seem resolved to censure Must not I shortly on a Death-bed reflect on what a barren life I am going to live and the blessed Courses I put a stop too Have I done more already than Christ deserves at my hands who died for me or would I be content he should now more remissly intercede in my behalf Plead such things closely and frequently with your Hearts and force a deliberate answer that all may issue in fresh resolves to be more vigorous than ever and in shame and grief that you could be inclinable to remisness in Publick Service I shall conclude the whole with three cautions to all who are willing to serve their Generation 1. Equal nothing with the Publick which is short thereof especially your selves Let every thing have its due regard and no more Our esteem of things should be according to their value and our concern is irregular if dissonant from our just Esteem Moses words Exod. 32.32 If not blot me out of thy Book and St. Paul Rom 9.3 For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my Brethren were not Absolute Desires but the regular indications of a Publick Spirit adjusting things as compared together A Common good is above a Particular and the more common still the more Estimable The very Reason why Divine Worship is proper to God is because he is Author of all above all and infinitely more than the whole Creation yea and we cannot but most intend his Glory in our undertakings as our regards are most extensive and make every thing a selfish Idol as we Postpone what 's more Publick to it Nevertheless the true Order is generally inverted Most Men do not account a Mischief or Benefit to be greater or less as they affect the Publick but as they affect themselves we begin and end at the wrong Point and Erect a false Standard when our main concern is how will such Publick Affairs Profit or Damage First My own Person then my own Family then my own Party then my own Nation if at all it will reach so far be warned against this preposterous course look at your selves but as small parts of the whole and to signifie no more than as the Publick is advantaged by you Acknowledge the interest all have in you according to their True Order and your Capacity and obligation to be serviceable to each Be uniform in your Course and let God in a Common good as such be your Governing end Fill up each Place and relation you stand in let each have a due regard and no more Your own Families the particular Church you belong to and the Catholick Church above that also your own City and Nation and the World let all these have their due and this in just order and proportion not exclusively of each other Your Prayers must reach the World your Mental Communion the Catholick Church Occasional Communion to others then that wherein you are stated Members tho' in many things they differ from you In short confine not your Care Estate or Advice below or otherwise than that Mind will dictate which accounts the Body more valuable than a Member and a common Good than a particular If you are Ministers abhor a thought that your Office obligeth you to mind no more Souls than your own Flocks 2. Neglect not your selves whiles you mind the Publick Do not disregard your own Soul no nor Body neither keep the last in a fitness for Service and be ever watchful that the first be in a meetness for Glory and improving for it Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.13 Receive your selves the Christ and Mercy you offer to others look not so Abroad as to forget you have a Home yea labour to affect and profit your own Souls by all your endeavours to profit others to walk in the light you give and to grow in Grace by doing all the good you can If you are Ministers oft think of 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my Body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away 3. Disregard not the first or least declinings in those Graces that are the springs of publick Service but be intent to get their vigorous Exercise restored as soon as you perceive abatement Very imperfect Actings will follow decaying Graces and strengthening the last is the way to perfect the first Rev. 3.2 As Ephesus decayed in her first love she abated her first works Rev. 2.4 5. which were Labours and Sufferings for publick use v. 3. Unbelief enmity to God and Man and a narrow Spirit grow as Faith Love and a publick Spirit weaken and those will as much obstruct your Usefulness as these contribute to it they will pervert your