Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	contrary_a	effect_n	great_a	225	4	2.1340	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09997	Remaines of that reverend and learned divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Containing three excellent treatises, namely, Iudas's repentance. The saints spirituall strength. Pauls conversion.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1634 (1634)	STC 20249; ESTC S115107	168,230	405

knowledge of Arts and Sciences by these he may see both into naturall and spirituall things in some measure but I say hee cannot see as hee should except hee have added unto this another sight which is the sight that the spirit brings and therefore it is called the opening of the eyes and the boring of the eares and it is the same that St. Iohn speakes of in Iohn 1. 5. That the light shone in darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not before a man have this sight of the spirit whatsoever he sees yet it is with a great deale of darkenesse but when the spirit comes it drives away this darkenesse by giving us another eye to see thorow it And the darkenesse comprehended it not so that till a man have the spirit he doth neither truely see nor beleeve You cannot beleeve till you have the spirit but when you have got the spirit then you will beleeve in Christ. Wee preach Christ unto all and exhort you to beleeve but what is the reason that some beleeve and others beleeve not but because they doe not see they want the spirit to shew them sinne to humble them and Christ to comfort them and therefore Peter cals them purblind As men that are purblind cannot see things a farre off except they bee neere so men without the spirit are but purblind men that cannot see Christ and Grace and Salvation a farre off as neere but if they had the Spirit then they would see them neere hand that is you would see a marvellous beauty in Christ and holinesse it is that which the Apostle speakes of in 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye hath not seene c. that is he saw them before but he saw them not in that manner hee sees them now they are represented unto him in another fashion Againe he sees them in another hue hee sees another beauty in them thus you see the sanctifying spirit openeth the eye of the understanding to see more A blind man might see if hee had but the faculty of seeing so a spirituall blind man will see when hee hath the spirit The third benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it breeds heavenly and spirituall effects in the soule as joy and comfort and the like and therefore in Iohn 14. he is called the Comforter First I say the Spirit will beget joy in the soule and therefore saith Christ hee will speaking of the Spirit lead you unto all peace and joy in beleeving now I make a difference betweene joy and comfort thus joy is unto the soule as a wall is unto a Citie the wall doth compasse the Citie and so is a defence for it that is it keeps pettie dangers out so doth joy it walles and fences the soule and keepes out many enemies that otherwise would destroy it 2. effect is comfort and this I call a Bulwarke because a Bulwarke is of greater strength to beate backe and keepe out any that shall besiege it and makes the Citizens more secure so comfort is the Bulwarke of the soule against the greatest temptations and tryalls it makes the soule secure resting upon Christ. 3. effect that the Spirit begets is boldnesse that is there is no true boldnesse without the Spirit Let Adam witnesse it aske him what boldnesse he had when hee hid himselfe from God and what was the reason of it but because he wanted the Spirit and on the contrary when the Disciples had received the Spirit they spake with boldnesse 4. effect that the Spirit begets is holy and heavenly desires in the soule therefore the Church in the Canticles when shee had got the Spirit shee had bred in her loving desires after Christ as in Canticles 1. 7. shee is marvellous inquisitive where to finde Christ for what is the reason that there is in men such a want of holy desires but because they have not this Spirit 5. effect that the Spirit begets is holy indignation that is holy anger it is an effect of the Spirit and therefore the Apostle saith in 2. Cor. 7. 11. what indignation or wrath this he speakes in the commendation of the Corinthians men will not be angry with sinne as evill till they get the Spirit 6. effect of the Spirit is holy affections it will make you to have heavenly affections to God to grace to the Saints therefore the Lord saith Ezech. 36. 26. I will give you a new heart carnall men they may doe something to make their children reverence them or to love them in regard of some domination they may proffer an object but they cannot beget holy affections this is the onely worke of the Spirit thus to change the heart 7. effect of the Spirit is this it will purge the soule it will cast out all rubbish out of the soule therefore the Lord saith that he will purge the sonnes of Levi as silver that is that they may be fit for the Priesthood he will purge out of them by the Spirit that which otherwise would make them unfit And David often in Psal. 51. vers 2. 7. prayes that the Lord would purge him wash him and cleanse him from his sinne and then after hee prayes for the restoring of the Spirit making the absence of the Spirit the cause of his uncleannesse 8. effect of the Spirit is this it kindles holy affections to good in us I said before that the holy Spirit workes holy affections in us but now I adde that hee kindleth those affections in us to good and this is that which gives us great advantage against sinne I say wee have no small advantage of the divell but great advantage when the heart is full of heavenly affections and that for these Reasons The first Reason is because the more holy affections the better man God accounts more of him a man is esteemed of God as hee hath or hath not holy affections a man is that which he is in his affections a man is not a good man because he knowea much but he is a holy man because he hath holy affections that is he is full of love to God to Christ and to the Saints The second Reason is because holy affections they are a meanes or a second cause of good they are the cause of good actions as for example for a man to suffer for Christ and yet not to doe it with holy affections out of love unto Christ it is nothing worth therefore when the affections are right they are drawne upward by the Spirit both to doe and to suffer The third Reason is because holy affections they widen the soule they make the soule large for when holy affections are dead in you the soule will begin to shrinke in even as cloath that is not throughly made when water falles upon it will runne in but if you stretch it it will come to the same length againe so when the

to be his master p. 257 4 It tames the stubbornnesse of our Nature ibid. 5 It makes him willing to suffer any thing for Christ. p. 258 VI. To prize Christ above the things of the world p. 259 DOCT. II. Sinne in it selfe is full of griefe and bitternesse and men shall finde it so sooner or later p. 260 Prov'd to be bitter p. 261 Men shall find it so for these reasons because 1 Otherwise God should lose his glory p. 262 2 Every sinne is the breach of a just Law p. 263 3 It is Gods Iustice to punish sinners p. 264 God suspends the execution of Iudgement 1 Because the time of punishment is not yet come p. 265 2 For the Churches increase p. 266 3 For the good of some that are yet to be call'd ibid. 4 For try all of the heart p. 267 5 Because their afflistions are greater than other mens though they seeme not so and that in these respects 1 Because God denyes them grace p. 268 2 The prosperity of the wicked is a punishment ibid. 3 They wither and dry in their sinnes ibid. 4 They have many afflictions we know not of p. 269 USE I. To teach us not to delude our selves in the matter of afflictions p. 269 Motives to forsake sinne are 1. Sinne will make you ashamed p. 271 2. If you sinne God will beat you p. 272 God correcteth his children when they sinne sor two reasons 1 Because sinne is sinne with God in whomsoever it is ibid. 2 Because Gods children are the Temptes of the holy Ghost wherein God delights to dwell p. 273 Six objections concerning Gods punishing sinne answered p. 274 3. Sinne will take away your excellency p. 277 4. The least sin violateth the peace of conscience p. 278 5. Sin will bring upon you all manner of miseries ibid. 6. Sin can yeeld no true comfort or content p. 280 7. Sin is restlesse p. 281 8. Sin hath no familiarity with God p. 282 9. If you live in sinne God will shew no mercy ibid. 10. Sin breakes the Covenant betwixt God you p. 283 11. Sin is a Theefe p. 284 12. Sin is the greatest enemy God hath p. 285 13 Sin will make you come weeping home p. 286 14 No content so long as you live in sinne p. 287 15 Sin will make you confesse your selves to be fooles ib. 16 Sin will take you away from God and God from you p. 288 Motives to hate sinne in regard of God 1. God doth take notice of all you doe p. 289 2. When God strikes for sinne his wrath exceeding bitter ibid. 3. The longer God stayes from striking sinnes the greater and terribler his stroke when it comes p. 290 DOCTR III. Christ is exceeding mercifull and ready to shew mercy to those that are truly humbled p. 291 REAS. I. Because mercy pleaseth him p. 293 REAS. II. Mercy is naturall unto God ibid. REAS. III. God is rich in mercy ibid. REAS. IV. God is our Father ibid. USE I. To draw us close to God because he is mercifull ibid. OBJECT My sinnes so many so great I feare Christ will not receive me p. 294 ANSW Gods mercy is infinite and so are not thy sinnes p. 294 USE II. To exhort men not to neglest those meanes whereby grace is got p. 294 Helpes not to put off Repentance but to get grace are 1 To take the time and opportunity when Grace is ofred ibid. 2 Repentance is not in thine owne power p. 295 PAVLS CONVERSION ACTS 9. 6. And he trembling and astonished said Lord What wilt thou have me to doe And the Lord said unto him arise and goe into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must doe IN this verse wee have the first act of Pauls conversion from being a persecutor to bee an Apostle In the words there are two parts The first is the manner of it he trembled and was astonished Secondly the plyablenesse of his will and hee said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe but before wee come to any observations we will open the words unto you Trembling Trembling is an effect of feare which feare is seated in the affecttive part of the soule for when the understanding apprehends any thing whether good or evill then the affections come and apply it either unto joy or sorrow Now the affections may bee considered either in regard of good or evill in regard of good and that either present which breedeth joy or future and to come whence flowes desire for desire is of some good not present but to come Secondly I say the affections may bee considered in regard of evill and that likewise either as present which breeds sorrow or to come whence flowes abomination or an affection by which wee flye and shunne this evill Againe if a man apprehends the good which is to come as possible though hard to be obtained this breedeth hope And so if the evill be apprehended as future and hard to be shunned it worketh feare And this was Pauls feare he apprehended affliction as comming and hard to be avoided the Iudge as terrible and that there was no way to escape and therefore hee trembled He was in a great perplexity and feare after that the Lord had showne unto him a glimpse of his dreadfull power Whence wee may see That nothing will so much deject a sinner as when hee sees the fearefull power of God When there is a crevis opened unto him whereby hee who is a sinner sees into the holinesse and the purity of God and the vilenesse of his owne nature hence hee feares and therefore it was that Adam feared when he heard but the voyce of God in the Garden and the Israelites could not indure the presence of God because that it was terrible unto them For they conceived as the Scripture speaketh That no man could see God and live that is see him according to the excellent greatnesse of his power and majesty but it would utterly overwhelme them so that there should no longer life remaine in them whence was their feare And astonished This is another effect of feare or a further degree of it hee apprehends such a sight of the power of God and of his owne estate that is this light did so shine into his soule that hee was at a non-plus not knowing what to doe or how to escape Now there are three things that make an astonishment First if the danger bee sudden for else it will not astonish for that which is knowne before will not cause astonishment Secondly if it bee great for a small evill wil not astonish a man but when a man apprehends a great evill present then he is astonished at it Thirdly if it be inevitable when a man is compassed about with it that he cannot get out there is no doore to escape but he must needs abide it hence proceeds an astonishment thus it was with Paul It was sudden a light shoone it was

something joyned with it as a man that is full who cares not for eating Grapes and therefore stands looking and gazing on them or as a man that is not a thirst hee will gaze more on the graving of the cup then hee will desire to drinke that which is in the cup when as the hungry or thirsty man he will not so much gaze on the Grape or respect the outside of the cup as to eate and to drinke so a truly humbled man he will not regard eloquence and wit in the Word this is unto him but as a graven cup that will not satisfie him but the pure word alone is that which will satisfie him and nourish him up in grace A man that is not humble is like a sieve that looseth thorow it all that is good but keeps nothing but motes and durt when he comes unto the word if there be any thing that may fit his humour that he will hold which is nothing but vanitie and nourisheth not but for that which is able to feed the soule and make him wise in all spirituall wisedome which is the application both of the threatnings and the promises unto the soule this he lets goe as not worth the keeping and this is the reason why men remaine so barren and fruitlesse because they doe not retaine that or love that which would make them fruitfull in holinesse these men are like children that cry for bookes not because they have a desire to learne but because they may turne over some gaudy or gilded letters so these men they come to Church and they heare and they receive the Sacraments and they reade the Word but not to learne to be edified by them but to play with some golden letters to heare the folly and foolishnesse of him that preacheth himselfe and not Christ or for fashion sake or for some other by-respect but not to this end that they may bee builded up in grace The second part of the Word is the Medicine part the healing part for as there is power in the Word to fill the soule full of grace so there is another power in the Word to heale the breaches and wounds in the soule now hee that will finde this saving power in the Word he must be humble he must finde and feele himselfe sicke of sinne unto death then the Word hath this power to save and to heale but if a man doe not finde himselfe spiritually sicke the Word will never heale him but it will be a quite contrary medicine rather a destroying medicine then a healing medicine it will be unto him like as the Sun is to him that hath sore eyes the more the Sun shines the more offensiue it is unto him and the greater paine it puts him unto So it is with a man that is not humble and sicke of sinne the more the Word lights upon his sinne the more hee stormes and strives against it it is with him as it is with a man that is sicke when men are sicke then every thing troubles them then they will be humble so when men are spiritually sicke then sinne troubles them it is with them as it was with Absolon and David there was a rumour of warre before there was true warre so it is with men in this case they have a kinde of warre in themselves they seele sinne and are affrighted with it but the warre is not true it is but a counterfeit warre a feigned warre because it is betweene the conscience and hell and not betweene the flesh and the spirit therefore examine your selves by this whether you be truly humbled or no. The fourth signe whereby you shall know whether you bee throughly humbled or no is this when a man is little in his owne eyes when hee thinkes himselfe worthy to be destroyed this wee see to bee the true property of a humbled soule in Eze. 36. Then shall you remember your own euill waïes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquities they shall so remember them that they shall think them selues worthy to be destroied for then and not till then is a man truely humbled Lam. 3. 22. saith the Church It is thy mercy that wee are not consumed as if shee should say I am worthy to be destroyed and therefore it is a great mercy in thee to saue me now if a man bee humbled he will be patient milde and gentle and louing he will patiently vndergoe reproach and shame for Christ and loue them that show no true loue unto him on the contrary you may see if a man bee not humbled then he is proud and impatient collericke and angry Danid was humble in the matter of Vriah and Eli was humbled when hee heard the judgement that was threatned against his house It is the Lord saith he 1. Sam. 3. Let him doe what is good in his owne eyes that is I am worthy of it let come what will come but if your hearts rise with pride and impatience your hearts are not truely humbled and broken for hee that is the humblest man is least in his owne eyes sinne will breake the heart of a holy man and humble him but if you be not humbled your hearts will remaine stiffe and stubborne that is they will not yeeld therefore the more humility that a man gets the more is his heart broken with sinne the lesse hee esteemes of himselfe therefore examine your selves whether you bee little or great in your owne eyes and accordingly judge of your selves The fift Signe whereby you may know whether you be throughly humbled or no is this examine your obedience unto Christ if the soule be humbled it will yeild generall obedience unto God True humiliation will breed obedience in you now if you finde that you yeeld no obedience unto God but you will notwithstanding prophane the Sabbath and be drunke and game it is because you were never truly humbled for if you were you would yeeld obedience humiliation fits the soule for obedience makes it of a plyable disposition and that for these reasons The first reason is because humiliation makes a man to see God in his holinesse and power he that before respected not God when he comes to this to see the power of God will submit himselfe an example of this wee have in Belchazer that feared the Lord after he was throughly humbled but when a holy man with the power of God sees the purity and perfection that is in God this humbles him more and that also in regard of his owne basnesse and vilenesse and hence properly the obedience of a holy man proceeds Obedience depends upon humiliation As with men when a man or woman sees the power of a superiour and that he is under his power then hee becomes humble and obedient The second reason is because humiliation makes a man to desire the favour of God now you know a man