Selected quad for the lemma: king_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
king_n	aaron_n	beard_n	ointment_n	31	3	10.1070	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60194	A learned commentary or exposition: upon the first chapter of the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians Being the substance of many sermons formerly preached at Grayes-Inne, London, by that reverend and judicious divine, Richard Sibbs, D.D. Sometimes Master of Catherine-Hall in Cambridge, and preacher to that honourable society. Published for the publick good and benefit of the Church of Christ. By Tho. Manton, B.D. and preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington, near London.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1655 (1655)	Wing S3738; ESTC R215702	745,441	567

for are you members of the Church or no yes will every one say will you make me an Infidel will you make me a Pagan Well take your own word then what is it to be a member of the Church but to be a Saint Must thou be a Saint doth not thy profession as thou art a member bind thee to be a Saint In Baptisme was not thy promise to renounce the Divel the World the flesh In renewing thy covenant in the Communion dost not thou purpose to cleave to God in all things Thou that takest liberty therefore in the Church of God under the profession of Religion to live as a libertine thou art a grosse Hypocrite and this aggravates thy sin and makes it worse then a Pagans Thou which art in the bosome of the Church in the Kingdom of Saints as it is in Dan. 7. the people of the Saints of the most high the people of God in the Church wherein thou art a professed member and yet doest thou take liberty grosly to offend God What doth make a Saint In a word to the constitution of a true Saint there is A Separation Dedication Qualification Conversation There is a separation presently when a man is a Saint he is separate from the confused company of the world from the Kingdom of Satan Therefore those that have all companies alike that carry themselves indifferently in all companies as men that professe a kind of Civility that are taken up with the complement of the times men that learn the language of the times that are for all sorts they know not what belongs to the high profession of Christianity There is a due to all I confesse there is a benevolence and a beneficence to all but there is a kind of complacencie a sweet familiarity and amity which should be reserved to a few onely to those in whom we see the evidences and signs of Grace If there be not a separation in respect of Grace there is no holinesse at all a Saint must be separated Not locally but in regard of amitie in regard of intimate friendship As we see it is in outward things in some of our houses there is a Court where all come poor and rich and there is the house where those of nearer acquaintance come and then there is the innermost Roome the Closet where onely our selves and those which are nearest to us come So it is in the passages of the soul there are some remote courtesies that come from us as men to all be they what they will there are other respects to others that are nearer that we admit nearer that are of better quality and there are other that are nearest of all that we admit even into the closet of our hearts and those are they with whom we hope to have communion for ever in heaven the blessed people of God termed here Saints It is an evidence of our translation from a cursed estate to a better when we love such hereby we know saith St. John that we are translated from death to life because we love the bretheren There must be a separation And withal there must be a dedication of our selves to the service of God A Christian when he knowes himself by the word of truth and by the work of the Spirit to be Gods Child he dedicates himself to better services then before he thinks himself too good he thinks too highly of himself to be a base blasphemer or swearer to be a filthy Person he considers himself as the Temple of the Holy Ghost and he useth himself to better purposes to better studies to do good And then with Dedication there is an inward Qualification to inable him with light never to forget the Image of God Herein this Saint-ship stands especially in this inward Qualification whereby we resemble Christ the King of Saints All our sanctification comes from him as Aarons oyntment went down from his head to his beard and so to his skirts so all our sanctification is from Christ. Every Saint is qualified from the Spirit of Christ of his fulnesse we receive this inward qualification that we have another judgment of things then this world hath what is good and what is bad what is true and what is false what is comfortable and what tends to discomfort He hath another conceit of things he hath another light then he had before and then other carnal men have he hath a heavenly light He hath another Language he gives himself to prayer and to thanksgiving he is given to savoury discourse He hath other courses in his particular calling and in his general calling then other refuse company have or then himself had before his calling this is from his qualification And this Qualification and Conversation go together he hath a new conversation he carries himself even like to him that hath called him out of darknesse into marvellous light So a true Saint as every professor of Religion ought to be he is dedicate to God and he is qualified in some degree as Christ was by his holy Spirit he is a new creature he that is in Christ is a new creature and he shewes this by his conversation or else he is no Saint How shall we know a Saint from a meer civil man as there be many that live and d ie in that estate which is to be pittied and one main end of our calling is not only to reduce prophane men to a better fashion of life but to shew civil men their danger A meer civil man lookes to the second table he is smooth in his carriage and conversation with men but negligent in his service to God A civil man he lookes to his outward carriage but he makes no conscience of secret sins he is not holy in all manner of conversation as St. Peter saith 1. Pet. 1. Be ye holy in all manner of conversation In private in publick in your retired carriage he makes no conscience of his thoughts of his speeches of all You may know an hypocrite so that carries himself smoothly and acceptably in the eye of the World but he makes no conscience of his thoughts he makes no conscience of his affections of his desires of his lusts and such things He makes no conscience of lesser oathes nor perhaps of rotten discourses No they are all for this that they may passe in the World that they may carry themselves with acceptance as for what belongs to the New Creature to Saints they care not for they have vain conceits of these and judge them as hypocrites because such a one knowes himself should be an hypocrite if he should do otherwise then he doth therefore he thinks that others that are above his pitch are hypocrites and and they make a shew of that that is not in them because if he should make shew of that his heart would tell him that he were an hypocrite A true Saint differs from an

truth and though with much weaknesse yet we call upon thee in truth therefore we cannot but be perswaded of thy goodnesse that thou wilt be near us so it is a prevailing course because it is obedience to Gods order And it is a prevailing course because likewise it sets God on work Faith that is in the heart and that sets prayer on work for prayer is nothing but the voyce of faith the flame of faith the fire is in the heart and spirit but the voyce the flame the expression of faith is prayer faith in the heart sets prayer on work what doth prayer that goes into heaven it pierceth heaven and that sets God on work because it brings him his promise it brings him his nature Thy nature is to be Jehovah good and gracious and merciful to thine thy promise is answerable to thy nature and thou hast made rich and precious promises As faith sets prayer on work so prayer sets God on work and when God is set on work by prayer as prayer must needs bind him bringing himself to himself bringing his word to him every man is as his work and his word is as himself God being set on work he sets all on work he sets heaven and earth on work when he is set on work by prayer therefore it is a prevailing course he sets all his attributes on work for the deliverance and rescue of his Church from danger and for the doing of any good he sets his mercy and goodnesse on work and his Love and whatsoever is in him You see then why it is a prevailing course because it is obedience to God and because it sets God on work it overcomes him which overcomes all it overcomes him that is omnipotent We see the woman of Canaan she overcame Christ by the strength that she had from Christ. And Moses he overcame God Let me alone why dost thou presse me Let me alone It offers violence to God it prevails with him and that which prevails with God prevails with all things else the prayer of faith hath the promise The prayer of a righteous man in faith it prevails much saith St. James Consider now if the prayer of one righteous man prevail much what shall the prayer of many righteous men do as St. Paul saith here my prayers and your prayers being joyned together must needs prevail For instances the Scripture is full of them how God hath vouchsafed deliverance by the help of prayer I will give but a few instances of former time and some considerations of later time For former times in Exod. 17. you see when Amaleck set upon the people Moses did more good by prayer then all the army by fighting as long as Moses hands were held up by Aaron and Hur the people of God prevailed a notable instance to shew the power of prayer In 2. Chron. 14. Asa prayed to God and presseth God with arguments and the people of God prevail In 2. Chron. 20. there you have good King Jehosaphat he prayes to God and he brings to God his former experience he presseth God with his covenant with his nature and the like arguments spoken of before and then he complaines of their necessity Lord we know not what to do our eyes are towards thee And Gods opportunity is when we are at the worst and at the lowest then he is near to help We know not what to do but our eyes are towards thee saith that blessed King and then he prevailed So the Prophet Isay and Hezechias they both joyn together in prayer to God and God heard the Prophet and the prayer of the King they spread the letter before the Lord and prayed to God when Rabshakeh rayled against God and they prevailed mightily Hester was but a woman and a good woman she was the Church was in extremity in her time she takes this course she fasted and prayed she and her people and we see what an excellent issue came of it the confusion of proud Haman and the deliverance of the Church In Act. 12. Herod having good successe in the beheading of James being flushed with the blood of James he would needs set upon Peter too the Church fearing the losse of so worthy a pillar falls to praying see the issue of it God struck him presently Wo be to the birds of prey when Gods Turtle mourns when Gods Turtle the Church mourns and prayes to God wo be to those birds that violently prey on the poor Church Wo be to Herod and all bloody persecuting Tyrants wo be to all malignant despisers of the Church when the Church begins to pray For though she direct not her prayers against them in particular yet it is enough that she prayes for her self and her self cannot be delivered without the confusion of her enemies you see these instances of old I will name but some of later times what hath not prayer done Let us not be discouraged prayer can scatter the enemies move God to command the winds and the waters and all against his enemies What cannot prayer do when the people of God have their hearts quickned and raised to pray Prayer can open heaven prayer can open the womb prayer can open the Prison and strike off the fetters it is a pick-lock We see in Act. 16. when St. Paul was cast in Prison he prayed to God at midnight and God shakes the foundations of the Prison and all flies open So St. Peter was in Prison he prayes and the Angel delivers him What cannot prayer do it is of an omnipotent power because it prevails with an omnipotent and almighty God Oh that we were perswaded of this but our hearts are so full of Atheisme naturally that we think not of it we think not that there is such efficacy in prayer but we cherish base conceits God may if he will c. and put all upon him and never serve his providence and command who commands us to call upon him and who will do things in his providence but he will do them in this order we must pray first to acknowledge our dependance upon him If we were throughly convinced of the prevailing power of prayer what good might be done by it as there hath been in former times certainly we would beg of God above all things the spirit of supplication And if we have the spirit of prayer we can never be miserable if a man have the spirit of prayer whatsoever he want he causeth it from heaven he can beg it by prayer and if he want the thing he can beg contentation he can beg patience he can beg grace and beg acquaintance with God and acquaintance with God it will put a glory upon him It is such a thing as all the world cannot take from us they cannot take God from us they cannot take prayer from us if we were convinced of this we would be much in prayer in private prayer in publick prayer for our selves for the Church of

a Christian to be cowardly because he hath death and hell conquered and every thing is made serviceable to help him to heaven But for another man to set light by these things it is more madnesse No man but a Christian can be stout and couragious except it be from a false spirit especially in things that are above mans natural power as death it is eternal and what man can stand out against the eternal wrath of God And therefore those that put on a Roman stoutnesse and courage though they seem to have strong spirits it is but false either they are besotted with sensuality or else with a spirit of pride When they look before them and see eternity and see their sins and that they must all appear at the day of Judgment they cannot be strong Let us labour therefore to have our hearts stablished by the Spirit of God and try our selves often by propounding Queries how we do things with what minds and upon what grounds Again another Evidence whereby we may know that we have spiritual strength and stability in Christ wrought in us by the Spirit of God is this when it makes us desire the coming of Christ when it makes us think of death and of the time to come with joy and comfort and that for the present it gives us boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremities He that in extremity can go to God in Christ it is a sign his heart is established Hypocrites in extremity flye to desperate courses as Saul and Achitophel did but in extremity the soul that is stablished goes to God My God my God saith Christ so Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him I say it is an evidence of a soul stablished upon Christ by the Spirit of God to have boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremity nay when God seems to hide himself which is the principal extremity of all as in Divine temptations when God seems to be an enemy then for a man to fight and wrastle with God and tug with the temptation and not to let God go though he kill him this is a true Israel a conquerour of God this is a heart fortified by the Spirit It is an argument of a heart established when besides for the present for the time to come he can chearfully and boldly think how it will be with him when death shall come that he shall go to Christ that the Match shall be fully made up that is begun by God between Christ and him for the contract is in this world but the nuptials are celebrated in heaven and in confidence hereof can say Come Lord Jesus come quickly A heart that is not stablished saith Oh come not Wherefore art thou come to torment us before our time say the Devils to Christ so an unstablished heart at the hour of death is afraid it shall be tormented before the time and therefore come not come not saith such a soul. But the soul that is stablished upon Christ and upon the promises in Christ of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting by the Spirit of Christ that saith Come Lord Jesus come quickly I have been larger upon this Point then I intended these unsettled times moved me to speak a little more then ordinary that we might labour to have our hearts stablished that whatsoever comes we may have somewhat that is certain to stick to that our estate in Christ may be sure whatsoever becomes of our state in the world otherwise VERSE XXII Who hath anointed us and also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THe Apostle having formerly laid open the riches of a Christian In this Verse he cometh to shew his strength His riches consisteth in the promises of God in Christ His strength in being stablished upon those promises Now that which he had spoken of more generally in the word stablishing he unfolds in three borrowed Terms Anointing Sealing Earnest Implying therein the manner of the Spirits establishing a Christian. He who stablisheth us how is that wrought By the Spirit anointing by the Spirit sealing and by the earnest of the Spirit which three terms do all argue assurance For you know that in the old Law Kings Priests and Prophets were anointed that is they were authorized and confirmed in their places And for sealing Writings among our selves are sealed for security And an Earnest secures Contracts and Bargains So that whatsoever may serve to strengthen a Christians faith and assurance is here laid down God to help our soules by our senses fetcheth it from humane affaires applying words borrowed from earthly commerce by a heavenly anagogical sense to spiritual things First the sure estate of a Christian is set down in the general by stablishing and then in particular we are anointed and sealed and have the Earnest of the Spirit God in the Covenant of grace doth our part and his own too he gives faith and strengthens faith and seales us he gives us promises he doth stablish us upon those promises and works our hearts to an embracing of them he anoints us and seales us and gives us the Earnest of the Spirit All in the Covenant of Grace depends upon the faithfulnesse of God and not upon ours but upon ours dependantly as he is faithful in stablishing us Now because the holy Apostle would have us settled in the excellency of the state of a Christian in the Covenant of grace you see how large-hearted he is he useth four words implying one and the same thing Stablishing Anointing Sealing and giving Earnest all of them words used in ratification amongst men God is pleased to stoop to speak to us in our own language to speak of heavenly things after an earthly manner and therefore he sets down the certain estate of a Christian by borrowed speeches This is a gracious condescending of God stooping as it were lower then himself and indeed so he alwayes abaseth himself when he deales with man coming down far below himself To come to the words in particular And hath anointed us This word hath a double reference The holy Ghost carries our minds first to the relation and proportion that is between the graces of the Spirit of God and the oyntment with which in former times they were anointed in the Jewish Politie And it hath reference likewise and relation to the persons that were anointed The persons were Kings Priests and Prophets Now God hath anointed us in Christ. The order is this First Christ himself as Mediatour is anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes but for his fellowes The oyntment is first poured on the head of spiritual Aaron and then it runs down to all the skirts of his garment that is to the meanest Christian. Even as the least finger and toe is actuated and enlivened and moved by the soul and spirits that the head and the chief vital parts are so every Christian though he be but as the toe or