Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	covenant_n	promise_n	seal_v	2,532	5	9.8875	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58941	Sacramentorum encomium: or The praise of the sacraments in a letter written in the year 1654 to the preacher then at Barham in the county of Kent, with-holding the holy sacraments from a great number of godly souls, unless they would subject themselves against laws and good conscience to a rigid Presbyterian government. Wherein the said government is plainly and undeniably proved to be (of all other) the most injurious to the magistrate, most oppressive to the subject, &c. Published by a member of the parish of Barham, for the satisfaction of all wel-affected subjects, and good Christians.	Member of the parish of Barnham.	1661 (1661)	Wing S223B; ESTC R219820	25,942	69

on the truth of his heavenly promise doubteth not but from creatures despicable in their own condition and substance to obtain grace of inestimable value or rather not from them but from him yet by them as by his appointed means and howsoever he by the secret wayes of his own incomprehensible mercy may be thought to save without Baptism this cleareth not the Church from guiltiness of blood if through her superfluous scrupulositie le ts and impediments of less regard should cause a grace of so great moment to be witheld wherein our merciless strictness may be our own harm although not theirs towards whom we shew it and we for the hardness of our hearts may perish albeit they through Gods unspeakable mercy may live God which did not afflict that innocent whose circumcision Moses had overlong deferred was about to have killed a Exod. 4.24 Moses himself for the injury which was done through so great neglect giving us thereby to understand that they whom Gods own mercy saveth without us are on our parts notwithstanding and as much as in us lyeth even destroyed when under unsufficient pretences we defraud them of such ordinary outward helps as we should exhibit Not that we hereby make Baptism a cause of grace but say that the grace wh ch is given with baptism doth so far forth depend on the outward Sacrament that God will have it embraced not only as a sign or token what we receive but also as an instrument or mean whereby we receive Grace And as concerning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we say that he which hath said of the one Sacrament wash and be clean hath said concerning the other Eate and live Life being therefore proposed unto all men as their end they which by Baptism have laid their foundation and attained the first beginning of a new life have here their nourishment and food prescribed for the continuance of life in them Such as will live the life of God must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man because this is a part of that diet which if we want we cannot live whereas therefore in our infancy we are incorporated into Christ and by Baptisme receive the grace of his Spirit without any sence or feeling of the gift which God bestoweth in the Eucharist we so receive the gift of God that we know by grace what the grace is which God giveth us the decrees of our increase in holiness and vertue we see and can judge of them we understand that the strength of our life began in Christ is Christ that his flesh is meat and his blood is drink not by surmized imagination but truly even so-truly that through Faith we perceive in the signs of the Body and Blood Sacramentally presented the very taste of Eternal Life The grace of the Sacrament is here as the food which we eat and drink The Sacrament is a true and real participation of Christ who thereby imparteth himself even his whole intire person as a mystical head into every soul that receiveth him and every such receiver doth thereby incorporate or unite himself unto Christ as a Mystical member of him yea of them also whom he acknowledgeth to be his own And to whom the person of Christ is thus communicated to them he giveth by the same Sacrament his Holy Spirit to sanctifie them as it sanctifieth him which is their head and what merit force or vertue soever there is in his sacrificed body and bloud we freely fully and wholy have it by this Sacrament the effect whereof in us is a real transmutation of our Souls and Bodies from sin to righteousness from death and corruption to immortality and life and though the Sacrament it self be but a corruptible and earthly creature yet he by the strength of his glorious power will bring to pass that the Bread and Cup which he giveth us shall be truly the thing he promiseth This Sacrament keepeth Christians in a continual remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death upon the Cross to reconcile us to God He was himself once really offered and as oft as this Sacrament is celebrated so oft is he spiritually offered by the faithfull This Sacrament confirmeth our Faith for God by it doth signifie and seal unto us from Heaven that according to the promise and new Covenant which he hath made in Christ he will truly receive into his grace and mercy all penitent believers who duly receive this holy Sacrament and that for the merit of the death and passion of Christ he will as verily forgive them all their sins as they are made partakers of this Sacrament It is also a pledg and Symbole of the most neer and effectual communion which Christians have with their Head from which communion there followeth to the faithfull many inestimable benefits as his taking by imputation all their sins and guiltiness upon him to satisfie Gods justice for them and he freely gives by imputation unto us all his righteousness in this life and all his right unto eternal life when this is ended and counteth all the good or ill that is done unto us as done to his own person there likewise floweth from Christ nature into our nature united unto him the lively spirit and breath of Grace which reneweth us unto a spiritual life and so sanctifieth our minds wills and affections that we dayly grow more and more conformable to the Image of Christ he also bestoweth upon us all saving graces necessary to attain eternal life as the sence of Gods love the assurance of our election with regeneration sanctification and grace to do good works This Sacrament also feeds the Souls of the faithfull in the assured hope of life everlasting and withal doth seal unto them the assurance of the injoyment of that life Manna Angels food fed the Israelites forty years in the wilderness but behold a better food is prepared for them even the body and blood of our most blessed Saviour the bread of life on which whosoever by a sincere and stedfast faith do feed it will nourish their souls for ever unto a blessed life without end in order to which it is an assured pledg of the spiritual resurrection of our souls from the death of sin here and of the corporal resurrection of our bodies at the last day of the first resurrection our Saviour hath said a John 6.57 He that eateth me even he shall live by me of the second He himself hath also said b 57. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him at the last day for this Sacrament signifieth and sealeth unto us that Christ died and rose again for us and that His flesh quickeneth and nourisheth unto eternal life and that therefore our bodies shall surely be then raised unto that life for seeing our Head is risen all the members of the body shall likewise surely rise

again for how can those bodies fed and nourished with the body and blood of the Lord of life but be raised up with him again at that day unto life it being given by Him for their eternal salvation It was neither Saint nor Angel but the Son of God himself who ordained this holy Mystery and is the chiefest memorial left by Him of our Redemption our Redemption which was the chiefest benefit that ever man needed from God or that God ever bestowed up on man and there fore every Christian should account this holy supper the chiefest and most joyful feast in this world and come unto it with praise and thanksgiving the sinner laying aside his sins must come to this feast the envious man his enmitie and come he that hath variety of secular imployments must lay aside his secular imployments and and come and converse with God He that is well grounded in grace must come because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast but he that is but in the infancy of his piety had need to come that so he may grow in grace the strong must come least they become weak and the weak that they may become strong the sick must come to be cured the healthful to be preserved they that have leasure must come because they have no excuse they that have no leasure must come hither that by so excellent Religion they may sanctifie their business The penitent sinners must come that they may be justified and they that are justified that they may be justified still they that have fears and great reverence to these mysteries and think no preparation to be sufficient must receive that they may learn to receive the more worthily and they that have a less degree of reverence must come often to have it hightned Here are remedies for all sick and sorrowful sinners the very letter of the word of Christ giveth plain security that these mysteries do as nails fasten us unto his very Cross that by him we draw out as touching efficacy force and vertue even the blood of his gored side in the wounds of out Redeemer we there dip our tongues we are dyed red both within and without our hunger is satisfied and our thirst for ever quenched they are things wonderful which he feeleth great which he seeth and unheard of which he uttereth whose souls is possest of this Paschal Lamb and made joyful in the strength of this new wine this Bread hath in it more then the substance which our eyes behold this Cup hallowed with solemn benediction availeth to the endless life and welfare both of soul and body in that it serveth as well for a medicine to heal our infirmities and purge our sins as for a sacrifice of thanksgiving which touching it sanctifieth it enlightneth with belief it truly conformeth us unto the Image of Jesus Christ who by vertue of his divine benediction with hands and eyes lifted up to heaven first blessed and consecrated those chosen elements of bread wine made them for ever instruments of life for the endless good of all generations O how inexpressibly comfortable are the benefits devolved upon us hereby O how infinite are the joyes such as eye hath not seen nor eare heard nor can enter into the heart of man prepared for the worthy receivers to such belongs life life indeed life everlasting with those is the Tabernacle of God and God himself shall be their God and He will wipe away all tears from their eyes no more death no more sorrow no more crying no more pain shall trouble them He that is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end will be their God and they shall be his Sons they shall inhabit the great City the holy Jerusalem enlightned with the glory of God and walled with a great and high wall founded upon twelve foundations garnished with all manner of precious stones and the names of the Lambs twelve Apostles the gates belonging to this City being no less in number then twelve and every one of them made of Pearl Rev. 21.21 and the pavement of it of pure Gold a City having no need of Sun or Moon to shine in it having the glory of God to light it and the law to be the light of it to this City all the Kings of the Earth shall bring honor and glory and all those who religiously hunger and thurst after the body and blood of this Lamb and worthily partake of it shall walk in the light of it And shall any hunger and thirst after this soul-saving heavenly banquet Shall some be set apart on purpose by an Almighty gracious and liberal inviter freely to deliver it unto them And are all these mentioned benefits and priviledges yea Heaven it self promised to them that hunger and thirst and partake of it and yet shall there be any who will not only wilfully neglect but also peremptorily deny to minister at this holy feast and thereby suffer the hunger and thirst of poor souls to remain unsatisfyed Shall any in like manner whom our most mercifull Saviour Jesus Christ hath commanded to Suffer little children to come unto him for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven be so wickedly hard-hearted so maliciously bent so without all natural compassion as to shut the door against those poor little infants deny them a little water Sacramentally to wash away their sins with keep back from them the sign and seal of Gods promise and as much as in them lieth put them out of the Covenant of Grace and thrust them into the wofull pit of everlasting Perdition Certainly if we had not seen such creatures with our eyes wee should hardly have believed our ears at any mens mentioning of them such there are amongst us and our children after us will declare the mighty work of division they have wrought in our days which they first prepared under colour of Religion to accomplish their own crooked ends thereby And these people do separate themselves from others desiring to be thought more holy then they These the Apostles long since foretold should come to deceive in the latter times they have thrust out pious and learned men out of their seats and exalted Dunces and themselves in the room of them they have caused Schismes and Heresies amongst the people which happen by reason of our sins through the just judgment of our God wherewith from on high he hath visited us by permitting those false lights to shine in these times of darkness to lead our feet out of the way of peace and deny us the Holy Sacraments which were ordeined for the remission of our sins such strange lights there are now and what makes them such Semblably it is to be feared ignorant obstinacy and self-seeking ends for who can imagine it to be other then ignorant obstinacy in these crabbed Doctors who alledge no other then unsatisfactory reasons for their omission of holy and necessary duties as because forsooth the

Sacramentorum Encomium OR THE PRAISE OF THE SACRAMENTS IN A LETTER written in the Year 1654 to the Preacher then at Barham in the County of Kent with-holding the Holy SACRAMENTS from a great number of godly souls unless they would subject themselves against Laws and good Conscience to a Rigid PRESBYTERIAN GOVERNMENT Wherein the said Government is plainly and undeniably proved to be of all other the most Injurious to the Magistrate most oppressive to the Subject c. Published by a Member of the Parish of Barham for the satisfaction of all Wel-affected Subjects and good Christians The Prophet is the snare of a Fowler in all his ways Hosea 9.8 London Printed in the Year 1661. SIR THe eye of the world hath now twice made his progress through all his 365 degrees and you having received of the Parishioners of Barham since you came hither well nigh so many pounds as there are degrees for his orb to move in during all which we a considerable number of the same Parish having with no ordinary pat●ence as we and others too conceive expected that you should administer the holy and saving Ordinances of our most blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ amongst us but to our wonderment and greif finding so great we will not yet say wilful neglect in you therein do now not out of any humour of opposition or cavelling with you qualities which become not the servants of our Lord and Master who is the Prince of peace but out of a sincere and hearty affection to the glory of Almighty God and the welfare of our souls in all hum●lity and meekness of Spirit earnestly desire implore you from the very bottom of our hearts as you are a Minister of Jesus Christ if as truly sent amongst us as never chosen by us or liked of us that you will not defraud us of that which we conceive belongs to us our Children is no less then the holy Sacraments ordained by the Lord Jesus himself till the time of his second c●…ing In this manifestation of our thoughts and desires you cannot expect from us plain Countrey-men any Rhetorical florishes any depth of humane learning any wisdome such as is that of the world these faculties as they are above the sphaere of our capacities so are they far beneath the level of our desires for we seriously confess we covet not the excellency of enticing words or of the wisdome of the men or Princes of the world but that which we daily and hourly beg for is that we may receive the Spirit of God thereby to know Christ crucified and seasonably to apply his merits to our souls by participation of him in his holy Sacraments We know that the world knew not God in the wisdome of God that natural man perceiveth not nor indeed can he perceive the things of the Spirit of God We also know that not many wise men not many mighty not many noble no not many Princes of the world hath God chosen to be his favourites but that he hath made choise of the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and the vile things of the world and things which are despised and things which are not to bring to nought things that are amongst which foolish and weak things we ranck our selves neither having attained to nor indeed much affected the wisdome of the world or excellency of words God he knows our meaning is honest and very plain and we shall sincerely propose our very hearts and thoughts to you We truly confess we speak 〈◊〉 to your honor we have not observed any of those vices of drunkenness or prodigallity in you which too too much abound in some men we do as cordially wish that spiritual pride secret malice and immoderate covetousness affections which many times are too too predominant in the Saints themselves may not take up any lodging in the chambers of your as we hope sanctified heart yet we must really tell you we cannot but wounder with what face with what reason with what conscience you could impose or suffer your self to be imposed upon a people which it should seem you esteem to be no better then Infidels or dogs for upon what other ground we are to seek why you should refuse to give that which is holy unto us we have not as yet denyed to give you temporal things the fruits of the labour of our hands the sweat of our browes the issue of our brains why should you withold from us those which are spiritual why should you keep back from us those tokens which our Lord and Master hath left for us we beseech you tell us do you think it your whole duty to get up into the Pulpit and there only preach unto us and by vertue thereof to extort tythes from us in sober sadness is there nothing else in your opinion required of a Minister of Jesus Christ are there no signs and seals of the Covenant of grace to be delivered by you to us is it therefore you refuse to do it because you may think there be some amongst us that have been railors drunkards wantons fornicators adulterers or covetous persons why though not guilty we can say it is to be feared such were some of you and if you be now washed sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God who knoweth but by the same spirit we may be in the like manner washed sanctified and justified and if so or desire to be so pardon us if we importune the seals of Grace which may conduce to our future glory But if you think us like Turks Jews and Heathen unworthy of them tel us so if not why have you witheld them from us all this while if you will not give them us but necessitate us to seek for them elsewhere we then desire you to set down your reasons under your hand in the mean while we demand of you with what conscience or honor you can refuse to restore back to the poorer sort amongst us out of that great income you receive those moneyes they have been forced to expend upon other Ministers for doing that which we conceive of right belonged ●o you to do we say great income because it is great in it self greater in respect of the very little content you give us for when we stedfastly look upon you and behold you like Janus to have two faces with the one looking earnestly toward our Tithes without any regard to the Sacraments with the other toward Womens weuld we cannot apprehend you to be other then some strange Minister we will not say Monster rushed in amongst us and indeed such an one as neither we nor our Fore-fathers ever saw in Barham before None of your Predecessors some of whom without all peradventure were pious and learned men Hooker ever like unto your self denyed the Sacraments unto