Selected quad for the lemma: church_n
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A42084
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Charity and integrity of life the pure essentials of Christian religion: or meditations on James I. 27. By T.G. M.A
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Gregory, Thomas, 1668 or 9-1706.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing G1931; ESTC R215986
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12,284
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31
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in it to stain and defile the Soul We are allowed a free genuine Converse to Love as Brethren nay to love the World but always with this proviso that we do not equal that with our Love of God We are then to use our utmost endeavours to bring the Body under the command of the Spirit by keeping our selves free from Worldly Pollutions that is the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life This being well considered we cannot despair of attaining a perfect Conquest over the World for whatever ought to be the Object of our just and reasonable Desires is allowed us in it But with what Armour shall we fight By what means shall we lay hold upon the Crown St. John will tell you that it is by Faith in the Son of God Who is he that overcometh the World It is He that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God The Israelites as long as they thought upon the Gyants and Anakims were not convinced of the possibility of Conquering the Land of Canaan So may it fare with us if we insist only upon the difficulties of our Christian Warfare that there are strivings without and strivings within our Spirits may flag But if we muster up the Auxiliaries of our most Holy Faith when we compare our Assistants with the difficulties that as their is a Devil without to tempt us so their is a Spirit within to help our Infirmities and a God above to intercede for us we have just reason to be of good Cheer to deny our selves and to go on to perfection knowing that we shall reap in due time if we faint not It was an excellent Advice of the Son of Sirach My Son if thou come to serve the Lord prepare thy Soul for Temptation Eccles 2.1 He that desires to arrive at a good degree of Holiness must call in all the Forces of his Soul for so noble atchievements prepare himself to go to Battel against his Enemies To subdue our Passions to break off old Habits and Customs is not a work so easie as that may be effected in a moment all which is included in this in keeping our selves unspotted from the World We cannot do all this in a Hurry but must be exercised in this great work Day and Night It must be confest that our Saviour's own Disciples were not so mortified to the world but they did contend among themselves who should be greatest being bred in the Jewish Religion which was attended with temporal Promises but having fully understood the design of their Master's Coming how holily and humbly how meekly and inoffensively did they walk through this treacherous world The Heathens called the Christians a company of Ideots for abandoning the Pleasures of this World for some future Contingencies as they term'd those of the World to come This may be tollerable in Pagans but their are no motives that a Christian should be in love with this Life For he that believes that eternal damnation is due to any Sin cannot consider this and gratifie a Lust He that stedfastly believes that the Wrath of God shall be executed upon those that obey not the Gospel will not if he might be Master of the whole World lose his own Soul such a Man is above Temptation will resist all the charms of Sensuallity as Religious Joseph did the Importunities of Potiphar's Wife with a How shall I do this wickedness and Sin against God So remarkable and Heroick was the Mortification of the Primitive Christians so little regard had they to the concerns of this Life that as soon as they were convinced that there was another immediately upon this Joyful News as many as had Lands and Estates sold them and brought the Money and laid it at the Apostles Feet Acts 4.34 And if believe the same blessed Resurrection why are we so concerned for our Lands and Possessions why do we tremble every moment least the Darlings of ours be snatched away from us is it not because our Affections are not yet on things above but on things on Earth And now having done with the Text and seen that the Religion which must fit us for the Kingdom of Heaven is holy and undefiled What remains on our parts but that we seriously engage our selves in the actual practice of it which will bring us in many and mighty advantages 1 st Besides the particular influence it will have upon our selves by establishing a firm Peace within a Good Conscience of having done our Duty which is the most sure Refuge in time of need It will also have a mighty force upon Strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel If we delight our selves in doing good Those Men that will not come to our Churches to hear us what we speak may in our Streets by seeing what we do in a manner convinced of the truth of our Doctrine when they see that our Eyes are lent to the Blind to direct them when they see that our Feet are lent to the Lame to support them when they see that we part with a Coat to him that hath none they will say God is in this People of a Truth surely the Fear of God is in this Place So that what our Doctrines can neither convince nor convert our Actions may do both our Lives serving instead of Arguments to convince Unbelievers that we are of the Houshold of Faith 2 dly If we cannot arrive to this to gain Proselites to the Faith by our Exemplary Piety yet this at least will be the blessed effect of it we shall thereby infallibly stop the Mouths of Gainsayers and defeat the Hopes of our Adversaries if so be Charity spreads it self like the thriving Mustard-seed in the Parable in our Cities and in our Families How happily how safely should we lodge in the fruitful Branches thereof If we strive like the Angels of God to love each other if we sincerely practice this pure Religion our Adversaries shall never prevail against us This little Island shall continue as it is this day the mark of Envy to all the Nations round about us The Abominations of Desolation shall never stand in the Holy Place If we do our Duty God will not fail to manifest his Care for Sin he will shew that he loveth the Gates of Sion more than all the Dwellings of Jacob. 3 dly and lastly the Practice of this most Holy Religion will not only secure us from danger but also procure us everlasting happiness hereafter Charity and Purity of Life are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things that accompany Salvation as the Apostle speaks without these and the benefits of his Death we cannot be saved and with these we cannot be damned These will seal Happiness to our Dust and make us immortal in the Grave By the tenour of these Graces we are in actual Communion with the Church militant here on Earth and without which we must never hope to be made Members of the Triumphant in Heaven FINIS