Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	earth_n	heaven_n	militant_a	4,766	5	11.7120	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10929	The true conuert. Or An exposition vpon the vvhole parable of the prodigall. Luke. 15. 11.12. &c. Wherein is manifestly shewed; 1. Mans miserable estate by forsaking of God. 2. Mans happie estate by returning to God. Deliuered in sundry sermons, by Nehemiah Rogers, preacher of Gods Word, at St Margarets Fish-street. And now by him published, intending the farther benefit of so many as then heard it; and the profit of so many as shall please to read it.	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1620 (1620)	STC 21201; ESTC S116104	291,820	402

that nature that God hath so highly honoured once sayth one hee made man to his owne similitude but often describes himselfe according to mans similitude what a shame is it then to defile those members by sinne wherby God expresseth his owne goodnesse and glory Doth God expresse his dietie by thy head his fauour and presence by thy face his prouidence and good will by thy eyes his strength by thy armes his blessed spirit by thy fingers Oh then beware how thou abasest thy bodie Rom. 6.13.19 or any member of thy bodie to sinnes seruice Giue not thy members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to sinne but yeeld your members as instruments of righteousnesse vnto God Had two sonnes By these two sonnes Text. some vnderstand the elect Angels and men but this cannot be for they murmure not at any compassion that is shewed vnto vs others by them vnderstand Iewes and Gentiles true it is that the Iewes are elder brethren but surely they are not figured hereby this eldest sonne for they haue forsaken their fathers house and are now strangers from the tents of Sem Others by these two sonnes vnderstand the Pharisies and Publicanes of this minde are the most and the best from whom I will nor dissent for the Pharisies grudging at Christ for his familiarity with the Publicanes gaue him occasion to vtter this parable as formerly we haue seene and by it he doth conuince them But these Pharisies were sinners Obiect and such as before whom Christ preferres Publicanes and Harlots but this eldest sonne here spoken of sayth he neuer brake any of his Fathers commaundements Answere Sol. The Pharisies were righteous in their owne eyes as Christ else where doth plainely declare Luke 18. no wonder then they did thus bragge they were obedient sonnes when as in truth it was nothing so for had this sonne beene as he did professe he would neuer haue murmured nor repined at his fathers iust and equall proceedings Obiect 2 But the Father doth seeme to approue of this his eldest sonnes sayings as appeares verse 31. Answ Christ would not now exasperate the Pharisies but from hence draweth an argument q. graunt you bee dutifull and obedient yet you doe not well to be offended with this my dealing c. And thus we see who are the two sonnes here spoken of In the estate of this Father in his children sayth one the estate and condition of the Church militant is not obscurely shadowed and prefigured his two sonnes represent the two sorts of people that are in it if this be so we see that the Church visible is a mixt assembly Doctr. The Church visible is a mixt company Mat. 13.34 Mat. 13.47 Mat. 3.12 it is a mixt company both of good and bad The Parables in the 13. of Mathew so set it forth It is compared to a field wherein is darnell and stubble as well as wheat It is compared to a net which gathereth together of all kinds of fish both good and bad It is compared to a floore on which lyeth both corne and chaffe sundry other comparisons are brought in Scripture by our Sauiour to confirme this truth Mat. 25.1 It is compared to tenne virgines whereof 5. were wise 5. were foolish to a marriage feast where some had wedding garments Mat. 22. 2. Tim. 2.20 other none to a great house wherein are vessels of wood and vessels of gold and may well be compared to that great sheete Act. 10.11.12 wherein are all manner of beasts and fowles cleane and vncleane thus it euer hath beene thus it euer will be vntil the great Iudge with his fanne shall purge his floore Mat. 3.12 Mat. 13.30 till the Angels shall carry the wheat into the barne of glory vntill this day comes some rubbish will be in the net some tares amongst the wheat some chaffe vpon the floore some goates amongst the sheepe some with the marke of the beast in the Congregation of Saints on Ismaell in the Familie of Abraham amongst the Disciples there will bee a Demas amongst the Deacons a Nicholas and amongst the Apostles themselues there will be a Iudas The cockle must growe for the cornes exercise Reason 1. Cor. 11.19 there must be heresies sayth the Apostle that they which are approoued amongst you might be knowne the faith of Gods children must be tryed as Peter saith 1. Pet. 1.7 and how can that be were there no bad to try them Vses Fouly then are they deceiued who thinke there is no Vse 1 true Church where there are any open corrupt members and foolish is their dealing who hereupon make a separation because bad and good are mingled together Is an honest societie of tradesmen a false societie because some are reteined amongst them who are vnhonest was the Church of Corinth a false Church 1. Cor. 5.1 because they had amongst them wicked men Why then did the Apostle call it a Church of Christ 1. Cor. 1.2 and a cōpany of Saints was not the Church of Thyatira which suffered Iesabel to teach to seduce and commit fornication Reuel 2.20 a true Church Is a wife no true wife because shee hath a blemish And was not Rebecca the true wife of Isaac though she had an elect and reprobate in her wombe And why then should not that Church bee a true one which hath both Iacob and Esau within her As for their separation thus much I confesse if a brother walke disorderly we may withdraw our selues from him 2. Thes 3.6 but that we are to withdraw our selues from the church because of him I vtterly denie we may not leaue Gods floore because there is some chaffe neither may we breake Gods net because there is some baggage fish neither depart out of his house because there be some vessels of wrath nor yet runne out of his field Non propter malos boni deserendi sed propter bonos mali tolerandi August Epist 48. cont Don because there grows some cockle for the bad which are in the Church we may not forsake the good but rather tollerate the bad for the good their sake And this we are to know it is heauen that hath ●one but good hell that hath none but bad Earth that hath both good bad to haue all good and none bad is a propertie of the Church triumphant to haue all bad and none good a propertie of the Church malignant but to haue both good and bad mingled is an inseparable propertie of the visible Church militant here vpon the earth I will conclude this vse with that exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 10 25. Ecclesiam tento plenam tritico et palta em ●do quos possum tolero qu●● emendar● non possum fu●io paleam ne hoc sim non aream ne ni●il s●m● Aug. Heb. 10.25 Forsake not the assembling of your selues together as the manner of some is but exhort one another and so much the more as

is from Gods free grace p. 222 2. True repentance bringeth vs into Gods fauour p. 227. 3. The first motion to repentance if true is highly pleasing to God and is accepted of him p. 229. 4. God is ready to shew mercy to euery one that seekes it p. 231. 5. God is more ready to shew mercy then we are to seeke it p. 236. 6. God doth not onely loue his children but hee will manifest it vnto them by signes and tokens that they may not doubt of it p. 239. Verse 22.23 Doct. 1. God will neuer vpbrayd any with their former courses that doe truly repent p. 250. 2. God giueth his gifts not immediately by himselfe but mediately by the hands of his seruants p. 254. 3. God is larger in his gifts then wee are in our requests p. 256. 4. Nothing that is needefull shall bee wanting where Gods fauor is not wanting p. 258. 5. God giueth to his children as for necessitie so for delight and ornament p. 263. 6. The Conuersion of any doth bring great ioy to the Saints and seruants of God p. 279. Verse 24. Doct. 1. Euery wicked man is a dead man p. 283. 2. He onely may bee sayd to liue that liues the life of grace p. 289. 3. Wicked men are Strayes p. 301. 4. Our conuersion and calling is from Gods mercy and grace p. 302. 5. Regeneration doth not abolish ioy nor any other naturall affection p. 303. 6. It is pardon of sinne and assurance thereof that bringeth ioy and comfort to the soule p. 307. 7. The godly mans ioy in this life is but the beginning of ioy p. 308. Verse 25 26 27. c. Doct. 1. The wicked repine at others preferments in Gods fauours p. 310. 2. It is the propertie of the wicked to expostulate the cause with God p. 317. 3. Wicked men haue faire pretences for soule sinnes p. 323. 4 When God hath to deale with sinners hee dealeth with them in a milde manner and not in fury and rage p. 328. Verse 31 32. Doct. 1. Wee may not exasperate the wicked when they are incensed but giue way vnto their fury p. 335. 2. It is lawfull for a man to speake in his owne defence p. 336. God will maintaine the righteous cause of his children p. 340. The end of all the Doctrines THE TRVE CONVERT OR AN EXPOSITION OF THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGALL LVKE 15.11.12 c. 11 And he said A certaine man had two sonnes 12 And the yonger of them said to his Father Father giue me the portion of goods that falleth to mee And he diuided to them his liuing AS God in times past diuersly Heb. 1.1 and many wayes spake vnto our Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken vnto vs by his Sonne so also this his Sonne Acts 10.58 whom he hath appoynted heire of all things by whom also he made the worlds while he wa●●ere vpon the earth going about doing good did speake and teach his people after diuers formes and fashions often by plaine principles and affirmatiue conclusions and not seldome by parables and darke sentences in all seeking his Fathers glory and his Churches good Reasons why Christ spake by Parables First reason Psal 78.2 Many reasons are giuen for this his parabolicall kind of teaching these are some First that the Scriptures might be fulfilled which had so spoken of him I will open my mouth in a Parable I will vtter darke sentences of olde Second reason Luk. 8.10 Secondly that Gods treasure might be hid from the obdurate wicked and the mysteries of his kingdome might not be reuealed to the scornefull to such it shall be spoken in Parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not vnderstand Third reason Mat. 13.36 Mar. 4.10 Luk. 8.9 Thirdly to stir vp his hearers to a more diligent attention as also that they might hereby take occasion to mooue doubts and aske questions as the Disciples did What might this Parable be Reason 4 Fourthly that the faithfull might haue constant and continuall nourishment so that though they nere finde a sweete relish in the word yet comming againe to the reading or hearing of it they might finde more food so sweetly hath God mixed hard and easie together Miscetur vtile dulci. that none might be cloyed nor any discouraged Reason 5 Fiftly that he might descend vnto the capacitie of the most simple Ioh. 3.12.13 who best vnderstand homely comparisons and are sooner perswaded with plaine similitudes and familiar examples then with subtill reasons and accurate discourses hence is it that parables and borrowed speeches from vulgar matters are compared by some to Mid-wiues which further our trauell in heauenly knowledge thus he teaching by plaine and knowne things did lead his schollers to the better vnderstanding of what was vnknowne Reason 6 Sixtly that he might helpe the memories of his hearers and cause them the better to keepe in minde his wholesome instructions for prouerbes and similitudes drawne from daily practise doe take very deepe roote and impression in the mind as experience sheweth there are many that remember a familiar example which they heard from a Preacher for many yeares together when as many other deepe points and matters of more substance which were then deliuered shall bee cleane forgotten Seauenthly that euery one in his occupation and vocation Reason 7 might be taught those things which concernes his soules health therefore hath hee deriued a parable from an armie to teach souldiers Luk. 8.5 Mat. 13.33 from legall principles to instruct Lawyers from the field and sowing to teach husbandmen and from a Leauen to instruct women And lastly that he might conuince the sinner of his Reason 8 sinne that seeing his sinne in the person of another hee might without partialitie condemne it in himselfe for of all kinds of speech there is none that doth more cunningly insinuate it selfe into the vnderstanding leaue a deeper impression with a feeling conceite then a parable doth and if it be personall the issue of it is to touch the quicke and in a sort to extort that which otherwise would not be graunted 2. Sam. 12. Mat. 21.33 as we see in the example of Dauid and others These are some reasons amongst many others which Diuines haue giuen why he opened his mouth in parables and taught the people after this manner In this Chapter Christ vseth this dark kind of teaching propounding three parables which are as so many instruments of musicke playing one and the same tune In that of the lost sheepe ver 3 -8 And that of the lost groate ver 8-11 And this of the lost sonne he teacheth one and the same doctrine The occasion The occasion of his propounding this and the two former parables is to bee seene in the beginning of the Chapter which was the murmuring of the Scribes and Pharisies against him for his receiuing of Publicanes and Sinners which came vnto him The