Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	militant_a	saint_n	triumphant_a	2,884	5	10.8885	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11011	Lectures vpon the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians. Preached by that faithfull seruant of God, Maister Robert Rollok, sometime rector of the Vniuersitie of Edenburgh	Rollock, Robert, 1555?-1599.; Holland, Henry, 1555 or 6-1603.	1603 (1603)	STC 21282; ESTC S116223	383,986	492

this and therefore cannot say much Euen here he hath two names the one Hebrue that is Iesus the other Latin that is Iustus Both his names imply and signifie good things by which also it should seeme he was a good man But because we haue no more certaintie of his life and qualities this shall be sufficient that hath been generally spoken Now it followeth to see what the Apostle saith of all these together These onely are my workefellowes vnto the kingdome of God which haue been vnto my consolation This is a general commendation of them and in it concerning them he affirmeth two things The first that they were fellow-labourers or workmen with him in aduauncing the kingdome of God they all ioyning hearts and hands together in setting forward that excellent A good thing when faithfull men ioyne together in well doing worke The second and it doth in part proceed from the former namely that they were no small comfort vnto him meaning thereby not onely as in regard of aduauncing the worke of the ministerie but also yeelding him sound consolation in his imprisonment and bands and that made me to say before in part proceeding from the former By the kingdome of God in this place omitting the diuers acceptions of the word in the Scriptures specially of the New Testament is meant the glorious Gospell of Christ by which as it were by What is meant by the kingdome of God a standerd lifted vp God gathereth a Church vnto himselfe and thereby manifesteth to men a meanes whereby they may haue entrance into the said Church yea by which he guideth and gouerneth both the Church it selfe and all those that are gathered thereinto the Gospell seruing not onely to begin and beget faith and a good conscience but to hold men on in the same and to cause them to grow therein And yet this double commendation of them is amplified by these words in the text that these were they alone of the Circumcision who holpe him in promoting Christs kingdome at Rome and did much comfort him as before hath bin shewed And that word onely would be marked because that from it we may probably conclude either that Peter was neuer at Rome at all or else that if he were there he was not so good and faithfull a head to Peter not at Rome the Church nor so comfortable a companion to his fellow Apostle as the Romane Catholikes do make him For if he were at any time at Rome I would faine know what time we should rather thinke him to haue been at Rome then a little before that time which they themselues assigne to his passion or suffering there which in their owne opinion is the very selfesame time in which this Epistle was written they affirming that both Peter and Paul suffered and were crucified at Rome in one and the selfesame yeere But it appeareth by this which is said here that Peter was not then at Rome when from thence he wrote this Epistle And besides how can it be credible that if hee had been then at Rome hee should not haue furthered Paul in aduauncing Christs kingdome or should not haue yeelded him comfort in his bands To say or thinke the first is at the least to make him a dissembler of his religion or a denier of Christ as once he had done before but they hold that after he had receiued the holie Ghost he was freed from all error specially in faith though they forget his fall mentioned in the Galathians remember not that if that intituled him into not erring the rest of the Apostles had as great a priuiledge that way as he because they al equally receiued the spirit And to affirme the other is to make him vncharitable and to note him to be a forsaker of the brethren and not a fellow sufferer with them in their bands and afflictions So that whilest they goe about to bring him to Rome they haue spunne a fayre threed in that they pull vpon him and by consequent vpon themselues these inconueniences at the least But the truth is hee was not there And for the further strongthening of vs therein we are to be perswaded that if he had been there the Apostle who is so carefull yea so curious as it were both in this and other Epistles of his written from Rome mentioning so many men of meane note in the Church and the names of so many faithfull teachers also as then were present with him there and yet maketh no mention at all of Peter whom yet notwithstanding in another place he calleth the Pillar of the Church Galath 2. vers 9. But to leaue this and to proceed to another point In that the Apostle is so carefull to giue charge and order touching Marke and the receiuing of him we may see first that Marke was a good man and so learne by that who should be deare and precious vnto vs euen the Saints that are vpon the Whom Gods people should most affect earth as the Prophet saith Psal 16. and find in our selues thereby the true note that wee are sound members of the Church militant and therfore shall be gathered to the Church triumphant in that a vile person is despised in our eyes but wee make much of them that feare the Lord Psal 15. But the world is quite and cleane contrarie for it loueth her owne and hateth the godly So that wee may say as the Prophet saith He that frameth himselfe vnto righteousnesse maketh himselfe a pray And surely if it bee a great sinne to condemne the generation of the iust then it cannot but be a transgression also not to commend and esteeme the godly for besides that God accounteth the fauours done to them as done to himselfe and on the other side reckoneth the indignities offered them as accomplished against his own Maiesty the very graces y t he hath shed abroad into their hearts should make vs to esteeme thē So that if we would not behold their persons yet we shuld acknowledge his mercies graces in thē and accordingly reuerence and regard thē Secondly in this act of Paul what great care diligence the Primitiue Church had in giuing testimonies vnto men No doubt the cause mouing them thereto was many seducers and false brethren went abroad and they To whom the Church should veeld testimonie would not willingly haue had the godly and faithfull deceiued by them which sinne no doubt they might the more easily haue fallen into if the Church had not kept this good course in yeelding faithfull testimonie to the holie professors yea preachers it may bee of Christs Gospell It there were at this day the like diligence and care amongst such Christians as dwell in diuers regions and parts of the world or amongst them that liue in one and the selfesame kingdome countrey and Church these vagrant men that so much runne vp and downe from place to place and from countrey to countrey and trauaile so sore

Then in this life in the faithfull Christ is not all in vs for there is much ill stuffe besides grace in vs. Goe thy way to thy heart and thou shalt finde it thus and thou shouldest thinke it a marueile that one sparke of grace should abide within thee But come to that life to come In the resurrection when faith shall goe away Iesus Christ shall be in thee in his full glorie Then in that estate there shall be nothing but Christ Al this vncleannes and vilenes shall be cast away and that heart of thine shall be inlightened and shine in thy bodie It shall not hold in thee but it shall breake out in thy face and make all glorious both thy hands and feete and all this mortalitie shall be scoured out of thee and then it shall be truly spoken Christ is all in all Now one thing and so I end Comparing this place with that to the Galath chap. 3. vers 28. I finde there one end of the comming of Christ and of the new man in this word that is not specified here and it is that all might be made one in Iesus Christ for as long as hee is a Iew and a Grecian they are two but when once this commeth that they are new men they are made one in Christ so the words spoken import For Christ being in all who is one of necessitie all must be one And againe if hee be all in all it being but one of necessarie force it must be one Ye see the end of Christs comming into this world of the new man it is this to make all one to put Communiō of Saints away all this variance and to ioyne all in one There is much adoe to ioyne altogether wouldest thou haue thy blessednes to stand it standeth in ioyning thee first with thy head Iesus Christ and then in making thee a member of his bodie If it were but one ioynt of his little finger if thou be but one toe of that bodie thou shalt be safe Well wanton men and women goe out from the Church But O that terrible wrath if thou be not found in that blessed societie make a iest of it as long as thou wilt if thou be not of the militant Church thou shalt not see the triumphant Church and thou shalt not be of the number of them that shall be glorified I might let you see the example what danger it is to be cut off from this bodie of the Church I aske what is a mans arme worth when it is cut off it serueth for nothing it dieth and perisheth Now it is euen as sure if thou be cut off from this militant Church thou shalt die and perish and thou shalt neuer haue part with thy head Iesus Christ if thou abide cut off thou shalt die euerlastingly Wherefore count it your blessednes to be first conioyned with Christ and then with his members Now what is the blessednes of the true God euen an vnitie in trinitie So thou art blessed when thou art one with the members of Christ and all thy ioy is to be in the Lord Iesus Now the Lord graunt we may abide one vntill we obtaine this vnitie in perfection in Iesus Christ to whom be all honour and praise now and for euer Amen THE XXIX LECTVRE VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE Colossians COLOS. Chap. 3. vers 12. 13. 12 Now therefore as the elect of God holy and beloued put on tender mercie kindnes humblenes of minde meeknes long suffering 13 Forbearing one another and forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell to another euen as Christ forgaue you euen so doe ye BEfore in this chapter the Apostle hath exhorted the Colossians to mortifie slay and put away the members affections and actions of the old man that is of the sinful and corrupt nature Now because it is not enough to put off the members of the old man the actions of the sinfull nature except we appeare before God with other actions for we cannot stand naked before him therfore in the second roume hee exhorteth vs to put on the members actions and affections of the new man these are the actions and this is the cloathing wherewith we must be clad to stand before God Then to come to the words and to weigh euery word as the Lord shall giue the grace The first word is Therfore put on c. He hath spoken immediatly before of the new man now vpon the occasion of this word new man he gathers his conclusion Haue you put on the new man Therefore put on all his actions If ye be holie cloathe your selues with holy actions The obseruation is short The new man which consists in holines and righteousnes requires a new life and new actions for if the life be not yet renewed but that the old life yet abide with the old actions I say you wot not what the new man meanes This is but a vaine boasting of regeneration that is in the mouthes of men to say thou art renewed and made a new man all is but vaine Let me see thy life and thy actions and I shall tell thee by them what thou art otherwise thou shalt neuer perswade me that thou hast put on the new man Now the Apostle saith Therefore put on as it were a garment or raiment neuer to be put off againe I shewed you before that when once thou hast put on this new man thou must not cast him off againe as thou wilt doe with thy coate at night when thou goest to bed which thou wilt cast off and the morrow put it on againe but this cloathing thou must goe in it walke in it lye downe with it and rise with it Now the parts of the cloathing followe Put on therefore the bowels of mercie c. Note then briefly wherein stands this abiliment of the new man It is made of sundrie parts it is like the coate of Ioseph made of sundrie colours This coate is so pleasant that it is wonderfull to looke on Mercie a pleasant sight Bountifulnes pleasant Modestie pleasant Meekenes pleasant Lenitie pleasant so there was neuer so pleasant a garment put vpon the backe of man Before hee comes to the parts of this garment hee puts in by the way sundrie arguments to moue them to put on this new man The motiues are three the first is election the second holines the third the loue of God towards vs. Ye are the chosen of God the holy ones of God the beloued of God therfore put on this garment that is pleasant in the eyes of God But to examine these grounds The first is their election that is the calling them out of this darknes into the light of God so Peter defines it 1. Pet. 2. 9. a faire choise This Gospell that ye heare is the light of the world and so this election whereof the Apostle speakes here is nothing els but that which we call commonly our vocation For whom God hath