Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	aaron_n	beard_n	zion_n	92	3	9.0898	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59072	God, the king, and the church (to wit) government both civil and sacred together instituted ... and throughout all, the Church of England ... vindicated : being the subject of eight sermons, preached ... / and now published by George Seignior ...	Seignior, George, d. 1678.	1670 (1670)	Wing S2417; ESTC R19835	158,466	284

would be a Proselyte to our Religion come in amongst us would not he say that we are all mad so far from being together with one accord that the variety of our Behaviours is argument too notorious that our minds are not intent upon the same business this is not the Beauty it is the very Deformity of Holiness Once more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were together and because so they were with one accord An outward Visible Conformity is in the very nature of the thing it self causal of internal Vnity Love and Charity is there increased where external Communion is promoted wheresoever there is Order there is Peace whereas Mutinies and Discontents are both the Child and Parent of Confusion Well therefore has the Psalmist compared the comliness and pleasantness of Brotherly Love to the outward administrations and solemnities of the sanctuary Psal 133.1 2. Behold how good and how decent a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity It is like the precious ointment upon the head which ran down upon the beard even Aaron 's beard that went down to the skirts of his clothing it is like the dew of Hermon even as the dew that descended upon the Mountains of Sion where the Lord himself commanded the Blessing even life for evermore Thus Love and Amity Union and Communion amongst Brethren professing the worship and service of One and the same God looking for and hastning to One and the same Hope is not only compared unto but also a due consequence of the sweet Odors upon Aarons head having their delightful refreshing influence upon the whole Assembly this is the Blessing of God out of Sion to those that are the sons of Sion Love and Peace Joy and Good-will for ever more Hence not without good reason was Jerusalem styled as the name imports a City of Peace because the Temple of the God of Peace was there that Temple which was built by Solomon who was a Prince of Peace after that God had given him Rest from all his Enemies round about neither was the noise of Axe or Hammer heard in all the Holy Mountain while it was Building This the Temple at Jerusalem and therefore the City it self is Built and Compact together even a City at Unity in it self for thither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord to the Testimony of Israel to give thanks to the Name of the Lord. Oh! that we would Recall to our Minds our former happiness under a well ordered and a settled Vniformity how did the people of this Land rejoice to go up together to the House of God as Friends how comely were our Solemnities when whole Families met together at Gods Table the servant was thus far as free as his Master not as a Servant but as a Brother and yet when he came home he did his service without grudging not as unto man but as to the Lord in singleness of heart as knowing that he had a Master in Heaven How was the staff of Beauty in those days no other then the staff of Bands and whilst we did in a general unanimous consent serve our God with one heart and with one voice the result of Glory to God in the Highest was Peace on Earth and Good-will amongst men But wo and alas for us ever since we began to quarrel at our Religion to abhor the sacrifices of our God how has every Mans Hand been against his Brother Father against Son and the Son against his Father Maxima debetur servis reverentia a Man's Table has been made his Snare whilst the servants that attended upon him have been the Informers against him his worst Enemies those of his own House nay the Marriage Bed it self as Honorable as it is has not been free from this shame whilst there have been a Generation of men that would not allow St. Pauls Doctrine to be Gospel That the Believing Wife sanctifies the unbelieving husband and the Believing Husband sanctifieth the unbelieving Wife but our of a supercilious designe to pry into the secrets of Families as if they onely knew who were the chosen of God according to the election of Grace even at the Marriage-supper it self they have separated and divided betwixt Man and Wife put those asunder whom God Nature and Christianity had joined together this being the Religion of our later Reformation what Christ fore-told should be a final destruction upon the people of the Jews Two in abed the one taken and the other left Oh! That at length we might recover our first works and how shall we do that hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Repent and do your first works Betake we our selves now at last to that from whence we are fallen to our old honest Principles of Piety and Devotion toward God of Reverence and Obedience toward our Superiours of Love and Charity one toward another Oh! that we would but seriously think upon it nay for the childrens sake that yet are unborn that we would consider it our Fathers before us have left us a glorious Religion and what shall we do for the Generations that are to come shall we leave nothing to Posterity but Schisme and separation disorder and confusion But in the words of Holy Church we direct our Prayers unto our God since there is no help in man nor in the son of man O God we have heard with our ears and our Fathers have told us the noble works that thou didst in their dayes and in the old time before them O Lord Arise help us and deliver us for thy name sake and thy honour 'T is not to be expected that ever God should bless that Nation or people where the only fewds are about his service and till our Vniformity in the strictness of it be more countenanced than it has been restored to its wonted exactness and splendor we must never expect to see an end of those fewds Divisions are alwayes running upon the Multiplication say's our Royal Martyr and there is no settlement but in the point of Vnion Toleration then you may give it a new name and by an Vniversal Character Style it Comprehension but Babel in the original both in name and story is the most proper word to signifie Confusion this cannot be the way to peace because it is not like to be a service to the God of Peace of altogether with one accord The Musick of the Sanctuary is not made up of Discord Vnisons here is the only harmony the sweetest Melody both to Heaven and Earth it is a contradiction in the very terms of it and it is impossible that both parts of it should be true that if there be Divisions and those Tolerated therefore there would be no thoughts no searchings of heart Let us take our measures by this one instance Our Fathers worshiped in this Mountain said the Samaritan to the Jew and the Jew said that at Jerusalem men ought to worship and both these were satisfied in

which are good and profitable and which tend to peace Which is the Fifth and last Instance of the great Benefit here in the Text unto the whole Community from the present Dispensation and that once again yet another reflection upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the more or the rather was this great addition made to the Church all this because of what they saw and what they heard which denotes even in the Multitudes in the Women as well as in the Men an act of their free choice upon a most sober and mature deliberation Here was no violence at all offered upon their faculties though it was the terrour of the Lord in a most dreadful judgment yet it kindly perswades them the Signes and Wonders were both Miraculous and Convincing the solemn and holy Convention because Beautiful therefore of it self desireable the Miracles of Providence though they were surpassing yet they were clear and manifest so that at this time as at all others God drew the People unto himself with the cords of a Man that so whilst he drew they might of themselves run after him they were a willing People though it was a day of power they saw what was done they heard what was spoken and throughout they were convinced of all so that it was here an act both of their judgement and their reason in that they did deliver themselves up unto the obedience of Faith Believers were the more or the rather added to the Lord Multitudes of men and women I need not neither have I time to prosecute it as I should here urge that God works with us and within us in order to salvation as we are men and reasonable creatures he proposeth everlasting happiness to us in his Word or by his Church as to our free voluntary choice and whilst he does kindly allure us he doth at the same time leave us in the hand of our own counsel See I have set before you Fire and Water Blessing and a Curse Life and Death chuse you whether you will says God by his Prophet Deu. 30.19 But I am confined both by the time and the Text that I cannot descant so closely as I might upon this Probleme which is indeed too much controverted At present I take it for granted that which I suppose every one experienceth upon consulting his own thoughts that we are all of us as men endued with reason free sreatures and voluntary Agents and that we would do good but evil is present with us because we are not in our judgments or to our senses sufficiently convinced as we might of what is best And therefore since the Design of all that hitherto is inferred from this Text is to promote Vnity and Vniformity amongst Brethren professing Godliness which is here the Holy solemnity The Apostles with the Primitive Christians all with one accord in a holy Place and upon this their persons reverenced the Word of Life was magnified it did not return in vain but accomplished the work for which it was sent for the Benefit was great and exceeding prosperous for a parting now to this subject so much insisted on in one word fain I would perswade shall we suffer the word of exhortation Be entreated to frequent Solomons Porch the Author because of that August solemnity and Ministration that is in it we should with David be glad to go up unto the House chuse to be a Door-keeper in the Porch to wait at the Gates of Wisdom rather than assemble amidst the Congregations of the wicked Tell me says the Spouse to Christ Cant. 1.7 where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon and this was her kind expostulation Why should I be as one that turneth aside from the flocks of thy Companions our Saviour there feedeth where he is himself fed upon the flocks are there together yea and at rest and that at noon Separation is a work of Darkness chuseth to it self the night To turn aside is to be as one Vae soli alone and woe to him that is alone this the greatest both sin and misery to forsake those flocks which in love and Vnity are companions Behold then may the Separatists of our Age see that I have set before them Fire and Water Blessing and a Curse Life and Death Chuse they whether they will Fire not a strange fire but that of the Sanctuary a pure and bright flame of Love upon Gods Altar Water alas the waters are troubled schism and sedition is a tempestuous sea casting forth mire and dirt Blessing even that which is out of Sion good luck and Prosperity out of the House of the Lord A Curse none more bitter to be cut off from the Congregation what will our Schismaticks thus invade the Priests Office will they excommunicate themselves and deliver themselves up to Satan shall God by his Prophet call unto them and say stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where is the old way the good way because the old way and amidst all our tumblings and tossings from one post to another we cannot find a better Shall God command peremptorily that we walk in these ways with a promise of rest unto our souls for out of such paths there is nothing but disorder and disquietude and shall we return that answer which the Jews did Jer. 6.16 But they said we will not walk therein Thus the Rebells against their settled and fixed administration of old Korah and his Accomplices Numb 14.2 Moses called them to the Congregation and they said We will not come up they turned their backs to the Tabernacle Satan therefore claimed them for his Synagogue and soon took possession of them Hell from beneath was moved to meet them at their coming The Earth opened her Mouth and they went down alive into the Pit and therefore yet once more may the Sons of Belial who cast off every yoke see this day set before them Life and Death and that in the utmost extremity in the eternity of both Life a Life of of Grace here in order to glory hereafter and still out of Sion goes forth this Blessing the Promise of Life for evermore Christ with whom are the words of eternal Life is not to be found as I must again and again inculcate in the Wilderness or in the secret Chamber but in Solomons Porch by the Chair of Moses not in the Stool of Wickedness or in the Seat of the Scornful he is head of all things to his Church in the Communion of which alone we expect salvation without there is nothing but sin sin that excludes from pardon the wages of which is Death Solomon hath in a Proverb told us the misery of those who turn aside from his Porch The Man that wandreth out of the way out of the beaten path of understanding shall fall into the Congregation of the Dead And now let our Schismaticks chuse for themselves I have in this though a private Person yet with