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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	according_a	church_n	word_n	982	5	3.8217	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62960	An exhortation unto reformation amplified, by a discourse concerning the parts and progress of that work, according to the word of God, delivered in a sermon preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the Massachusets colony, at Boston in New-England, May 27, 1674, being the day of election there / by Samvel Torrey ...	Torrey, Samuel, 1632-1707.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1674 (1674)	Wing T1916; ESTC R13732	47,259	54

hath this peculiar unto it that it bears the Style and Inscription of this great Prophet the Lord Jesus Christ himself Chap. 1.1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ And indeed it bears a very lively impression of his Image as it were in the Frontispiece of it drawn out to the Life by a twofold description of him in his Person Office and Work Chap. 1. ver 5 6 7 8. ver 13 14 15 16 as also throughout the whole Book respecting both the Matter of it and the Manner of delivery in the Mystery and Majesty of it It hath also this peculiar Eminency and Excellency that it contains a Systeme or the Sum of all Gospel Prophesie It is a Prophetical Revelation of all Mysteries of Divine Dispensation in the whole Series and Succession of it in every Age and Generation and in every state and condition of the Church respecting both the Propagation of his Kingdome and the destruction of his Enemies untill all the whole Mystery of God be finished and Time shall be no longer at least untill the last and utmost Prophetical Period It is the last great and general Prophesie which doth compleat the Canon of Holy Writ intimated Chap. 22.18 Therefore blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie c. Chap. 1.3 John the beloved and bosome Disciple and last Apostle is the Minister of this Revelation Chap. 1. ver 1. therefore the Dedication of it is from John unto the Seven Churches in Asia Chap. 1. v. 4. John to the Seven Churches in Asia This general or indefinite Dedication makes way for the particular Inscription of an Epistle unto the several Angels of those Churches in the 2d and 3d Chapters Our Text lyes in the first of these Epistles inscribed Vnto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Chap. 2.1 I shall not detain you with any discourse concerning the Scituation of the City or Typical Relation of the Church of Ephesus nor stay upon an Artificial Resolution of the Context by an Analytical Exposition of the Epistle which are vulgar with Expositors The way to our Text is easie and open it lyes in that part of the Epistle which is Narrative The words as to Mode of expression they are Monitory and withall highly Imperative or Commanding The duty commanded it is to labour according to direction given unto a full and through Restitution from that Declension and Defection in Religion which that Church was fallen into In order hereunto three things are proposed in the words as parts of the work and duty commanded to be done 1. An awakening sight and sense of their declension and defection in these words Remember from whence thou art fallen The word Remember here it imports an awakening convincing Remembrance it is often used in Scripture to express a conscience and conviction of sin Ezek. 16.61 63. from whence thou art fallen or elapsed slidden backslidden plainly signifying Backsliding and Apostacy 2. A penitential Confession of and humiliation under the sin of their declension and defection in this word Repent It signifies Repentance in the proper act of it which is a sad and solemn recognition of and reflection upon our past evil actions with Confession and Humiliation 3. Reformation in these words Do the first werks which signifie Reformation in the proper act of it positive practical Reformation Remember from whence thou art fallen repent and do the first works It is as if our Lord Jesus Christ should have said unto this Angel and Church of Ephesus Although thou hast been commendable and I have commended thee for thy strong and stedfast perseverance by the great labour of thy Faith and Patience in the sincere pure and powerful Profession of the Gospel respecting both Doctrine and Worship with extraordinary Zeal against Heresie and Apostacy Hereticks and Apostates and that also with extraordinary Courage and Constancy under many great Temptations and much and great Tribulation and although thou hast been extraordinarily beautified and blessed with my Presence in the exercise of my Kingly and Prophetical Office though thou hast been Eminent yea Excellent among the Churches and although thou dost yet hold up thy Profession in the external Form of it and dost therefore still deserve some Commendation Yet know O Ephesus that thou art fallen thou hast lest thy first love thou hast lost thy first life thou hast deserted thy first works thou art not what thou hast been thou art fallen into a state frame and way of backsliding and Apostacy Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and labour to recover thy self speedily from thy declension and defection and to retrive thy pristine and primitive Profession and practise of Religion unto its former internal and spiritual Life and Power from which it is chiefly that thou art fallen or else I will withdraw my gracious Presence from thee and come unto thee quickly in my wrath and devest thee of all thy Priviledges Church-Order Ordinances and Administrations of the Dignity and Beauty yea of the very Being of a Church by the Amoture of the Candlestick Remember from whence thou art fallen c. The words thus plainly opening themselves unto us afford us this Doctrine Doct. That it is the present and most important Duty and Concernment of any Collapsing or Back-sliding Church or Churches to labour under an Awakening Convincing sight and sense or under an Awakening Conviction of their Declension and Defection unto a full and through Restitution from it by Repentance and Reformation The Text it self is so good a Doctrine it doth seem needless to invert the terms of it It is enough to say That it is the work and duty of any Church or Churches which are in the like declining and decaying estate which this Church of Ephesus was in to Remember from whence they are fallen to repent and to do their first works It is the present instant and most important duty it is indeed all the work and duty which our Lord Jesus Christ doth commend and propound unto and press upon this Church in this whole Epistle and so unto and upon all other Churches in the like state and he doth propose it plainly and fully in all the parts of it that they might have a full and distinct understanding of it and direction unto it that they might be through and effectual in the pursuance and performance of it He proposeth it also as a most important duty and concernment as that upon which depended their very Being and Standing as a Candlestick amongst the Candlesticks as a Church among the Churches He proposeth it as a work and duty which they had yet great advantage and encouragement to labour in under the powerful exercise of his Kingly and Prophetical Office and therefore he represents himself unto this declining Church for their encouragement as walking amidst the golden Candlesticks and bolding the Stars in his right hand that is in his full and whole Sufficiency to uphold his Church in its

open and professed Enemies unto pure Churches Worship and Ordinances are arisen unto so high a degree of bold Presumption among us and that notwithstanding they know that Publick Authority is by good and wholsome Laws and so by Oath and so by Conscience and by divers obligations both Civil and Sacred engaged against them I am no Casuist in the great Case of Toleration neither shall I undertake either to state dispute or decide that Question what is in it self or in divers respects or cases at divers times and places either Tolerable or Intolerable in matters disputable But this I take to be undeniable That gross bold scandalous presumptuous transgression of any one or more or all the Commandments of the First Table perpetrated and persisted in with an high hand notwithstanding all due means of Conviction used and against clear light held forth and manifestly under the Prevailing Power of a Spirit of Errour with malignity in open opposition to the Truth the true Churches worship and ordinances of Christ I say I take it to be unquestionable That such transgression it is Intolerable Such I take to be the transgression of those who do grosly and scandalously profane any of the holy Ordinances of Christ in the Administration of them presuming to offer strange fire but much more of those who do both professedly and practically deny most if not all Fundamentals both of Faith and Order and are known and acknowledged so to do by all the Reformed Churches in the world who are in their wayes of corrupt worship no less the Synagogue of Satan then those in Rev. 2.9 Now I say if such Transgressors and Transgressions should after the long labour and patience of these Churches in a strong and stedfast encounter and conflict with this Temptation at last prevail to break open a door unto corrupt worship by Teaching Seducing Tempting and Enticing others unto corrupt Communion with them according to the Doctrine of Balaam to cast a stumbling block before the people of the Lord as Rev. 2.14 I say if this should come to pass our case would be exceeding dangerous especially this coming upon us in our declining and languishing state when we have lost so much of our first life and love that we have soarcely strength enough left to reinforce our former Zeal and Courage in the Encounter yea and at such a time when the Generation is lamentably exposed by the sins of the Times which are all tempting unto a Compliance with such a Temptation and are too much without grace to resist it and in a very unsetled state as to their standing before God under his Covenant even standing upon the dangerous Precipice of a gross Apostacy the very opportunity for Satan to over throw us by such a Temptation Surely if it be thus or likely to be thus then there is very great need of watchsulness against this Temptation Neither let it be slighted or accounted a light thing for such Profanations and Abominations if Indulged will become the sins of the Land and the guilt and Punishment of them will lye and fall exceeding heavy upon the Land in a day of wrath O they will pull down wrath upon this Land and upon this People and the filth of them will pollute and defile the Land it will be such Pollution as will not be purged away without fire the guilt and filth of corrupt worship is not purged away without the fire and the fornace And that which is most Perillous it is the universal diffusion of the Corruption and Contagion of corrupt worship by the subtile and insensible infusion and influence of a Spirit of Libertinism a Spirit and Principle it is of all other most dangerous and destructive unto Pure Churches and will soon open a wide door unto all kinde of Abominations for all false worships although they seem in themselves to be contrary Extremes yet they all agree in this Principle of Libertinism and will break in at that door It will be in vain for us to hope for or Promise our selves Security from gross Superstition and Ceremony if we will leave open this door or admit of a contrary Extreme in corrupt worship And truly if we should give way unto any kinde it will be just with God to give us up Judicially unto all kindes of corrupt worship And let me adde That a Spirit of Libertinism if it prevail will in the end bring in all kinde of Licentiousness and Profaneness for it is a Womb big with all kinde of Abominations for corruption in Worship and conruption in Manners do alwayes grow and go together See at large Ezck. 22. beginning Although Libertinism doth promise much Liberty yet it bringeth into bondage to Corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 It doth gender altogether unto bondage O that these Churches may recover their first Zeal against Libertinism both the Spirit Principle and Practise of it and so against all corrupt worship which hath been the common destruction of Reformed Churches and will most certainly be of these Churches if it should break in upon us O let us consider we have been hither unto a People extraordinarily Priviledged with Immunity from corrupt worship we are yet free from any foraign or forcible Temptation thereunto we have yet all Advantages and Encouragements to withstand it and to keep it out If we admit of will-worship we shall lose all the glorious work of Reformation which our Fathers laboured in which consisted chiefly in Separation from corrupt Worship we shall at once reze the Foundation and ruine the Superstructure of these Churches which in the very Constitution were set up and stand in a way of opposition unto corrupt worship such Churches will not cannot bear any degree of corrupt worship VVill-worship it would even destroy our very Religion and reduce this VVilderness-People unto a kinde of Heathenism O wo unto us if we admit of will worship we shall soon fill up the measure of our sin and prepare our selves for Judgement even wrath to the utmost O wo unto New-England if ever God be provoked to revenge this quarrel of his Covenant upon us according to that Threatning Lev. 26.25 If we admit of will-worship New-England will become the shame and scandal of Religion and of all Reformed Churches the Reproach of the Christian world the Scorn and Triumph of Antichrist and in all respects a most sinful and miserable People Thus we are to do our first works in all things pertaining to the worship of God 4. Labour unto the promotion and progress of the work of Reformation by the full and faithful discharge of duty to the Children of the Covenant multiplying and growing up under the Covenant in those Churches under how great and general omission of duty towards them we have cause seriously and sadly to consider and to lament Truly it is much to be feared that we shall so long doubt and dispute the Interest and Right of fuch Children and controvert and neglect our duty towards them