Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	christian_a	day_n	sabbath_n	12,184	5	9.9778	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93747	The necessity of keeping still unto the ordinances of religion, prayer, hearing the word, baptism, and the Lord's Supper set forth in a sermon preached in the countrey, on Acts VI.4. : wherein is also laid open, and manifested the errour of those people (commonly call'd Quakers) who do neglect the two latter.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5126; ESTC R202451	24,791	32

words the meaning seems to be to this purpose and effect that is there is nothing or no great matter whither the foreskin of ones flesh is cut off or not There is no great Good or Evil in the thing abstractedly whither it be done or not done So it would have been if God had given no Commandment at all concerning it But God having Superadded and Annexed a Commandment concerning it The Soul that is not Circumcised shall be cut off from his People Here it ought to be observed and done by the Jews as long as that Dispensation did remain among them Not so much for the thing it self but to fulfill all Righteousness and therein to keep the Commandment of God which same Commandment is now done away and abolished in Christ And therefore it was become indifferent under the Gospel as appears by the foregoing verse and from the Practise of Paul who altho' he was not for bringing them back again to Bondage and to Jewish Observances yet to please the Jews as also to bring over more Jewish Converts who did retain a Tincture of and Zeal for the Mosaical Institutions did Circumcise Timothy but would not do so as to the Gentiles which should receive the Faith Now the reason is alike and eternally the same as to those two Ordinances of Christ Baptism and the Lords Supper As to sprinkling or dipping in water and in Eating and Drinking a little Bread and Wine there is nothing or no great matter in them taken abstractedly The Reason of Man is apt to despise them because it presently sees no Intrinsick Goodness in using them and no Evil in letting them alone And so far it would have been true if Christ had given no Commandment concerning them But Christ and his Apostles having given Commandment for the once observance of the one and the often observance of the other they ought accordingly to be so observed by his Disciples and Followers to fulfill all Gospel Righteousness and out of obedience unto and for keeping the Commandments of Christ Moses therefore gave unto you Circumcision not because it is of Moses but of the Fathers and ye on the Sabbath Day Circumcise a Man that the Law of Moses shall not be broken John 7. 22 23. This is plain and obvious enough and accordinly they have been retained all along down in the Christian yea and the Reformed Churches Tho' we cannot here presently assign how Baptism and the Lords Supper are means of Grace as Preaching the Word and Prayer manifestly and sensibly are For we know feelingly and experimentally that Preaching the Word and Prayer are as two Conduit Pipes through which Good and Perfect Gifts do come down from above from the Father of Lights into our Souls And we very well conceive how these help to make a People prepared for the Lord. But we cannot altogether give so clear an Account concerning Baptism and the Lords Supper how they do this altho' here we can somewhat apprehend as to the things signified by them which hath been afore-mentioned Nevertheless because Christ hath Commanded and Instituted them in his Gospel it is not only the safer way to use them but I will go on to add there can be no sasety in neglecting them or in the omission of them because of what himself saith Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach Men so He shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 19. Which there signifies the Dispensation of his Gospel For we are not sure that such will ever be admitted into his Kingdom above at the end of time Having afore-mentioned what Grounds we have for the same in the Scriptures of Truth and therefore these things keep still unto the Ordinances of Religion We teach and affirm constantly We read in Isa 58. 2. Of the Ordinances of Justice but in our present and intended Discourse we wave and let alone all that it being not altogether so pertinent to the matter in Hand which is the keeping constantly unto the Ordinances of Worship For it is a great Gospel Command Worship God Rev. 22. 9. And to allude unto Heb. 9. 1. This Second Covenant hath Ordinances of Divine Service and a Spiritual or Heavenly Sanctuary Which may be performed in a true and right manner So that it is meet requisite and necessary That the Children of thy Servants should continue therein Psal 102. 28. Or otherwise they are no longer Servants of God For his Servants shall serve him Rev. 22. 3. And as anothers abuse of a thing should not take away my Good and Right use thereof So here again it is the Controversies and Questions which are among the Servants of God concerning the manner or Circumstantials of his Worship or of those positive Ordinances as whither Baptism should be observed in Infancy or Riper Years with dipping or sprinkling with the sign of the Cross or without it and of the Lords Supper whither it should be received sitting standing or kneeling or whither in the Morning or Afternoon altho' these are somewhat apt to perplex and trouble the Minds of Christians and are the occasion of different and distinct Congregations Yet we should in no wise so far stumble as to surcease the use of them at all God forbid By the way tho' we ought to assert the Truth and Confute Errour yet it is no Christianity to Reproach or Malign any Sect or Party For the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all Men in Meekness Instructing those that oppose themselves if Peradventure God will give them Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth The much greater Part of those Churches which are reformed from the Idolatry and Superstition of Rome both in these and also in Forreign Countries do all unanimously agree that these Ordinances ought by all means to be retained and that the neglect or omission of them is Sin Certain it is that the best and wisest way for every one is To keep unto and observe them as near according to the Rule and Direction of Scripture as ever they can and abstracted from all will Worship and Institution or Precept of Man I am now going to speak after my Judgment and by Permission and not of Commandment And therefore ye may weigh in your Minds but not rely on this Affirmation or rather Opinion Viz. That as the Early Dew which goeth away is better then no Dew at all So the observance of the ordinances any of the ways afore-mentioned seems according to my sentiment of things to be better and safer then the not observance of them at all Because there is a Commandment of God and of Christ for the actual observance of them Tho' here I charge ye all in the Name of God and of Christ and here ye are to take notice of it that I speak again by Commandment seeing that these positive ordinances serve also unto the example and shadow of Heavenly things see well to it

that ye do observe and use them according to the Pattern shewed unto ye in the Gospel For that is most pleasing unto the Lord as may be understood from Heb. 8. 5. Colos 2. 20. is commonly objected against the use of ordinances at all Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as tho' living in the World are ye subject to ordinances But it is manifest from what goes before and follows after that Text in this very same Chapter the Apostle Paul there means only Jewish Ordinances and such Ordinances as Perish in the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men But have no Ground or Warrant from the Gospel of Christ But the being buried with him in Baptism or the keeping the Feast in Remembrance of him till he comes do not Perish in the using for they have a Relation to some what further neither are they after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men but after the Commandments and Doctrines of Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus ye have been taught and ye have heard the Truth as it is in Jesus Remember this Rule and Direction which I Richard Stafford whilst a Preacher among ye did make known and press and inculcate unto ye over and over That ye may observe it continually when I am gone Viz. For Gods sake and for your own Souls sake If ye would make a continuing and persevering work of it keep still and constantly unto the ordinances of Religion I say and testify again keep still and constantly unto the Ordinances of Religion By the way Do not think this reciting my Name to you to be odd and unbecoming for as the Apostle doth several times mention himself by Name in his Epistles I Paul do testify I Paul the Aged In like manner I do imitate the same Example I such an one a Lame Person which will be a further sign and token do so express it on purpose to make a greater and more lasting Impression in your Memories Remember and obey this saying keep still unto the Ordinances of Religion But as it is written We will give our selves continually to Prayer and to the Ministry of the Word Acts 6. 4. So here take this further advice and direction be sure especially to keep still and constantly unto these two ordinances of Religion Give your selves continually unto Prayer And because all are not Apostles and all are not Ministers do ye also continually attend upon the hearing of the Ministry of the Word Whatever ye neglect do not neglect these two for these are confessed acknowledged and agreed unto by all that Name the Name of Jesus Christ in every place both theirs and ours Even they who pretend to be above ordinances and to cast off ordinances that they do err and are deceived herein hath been made known from the Scriptures of Truth as God himself will yet more clearly Judge and Decermine at the last day do still keep amongst them in their Congregations the Ministry of the Word and Prayer It is possible to Pray without ceasing and to continue in Prayer and to give your selves continually unto Prayer Good God! How much dost thou delight that thy Servants should continue see James 1. 25. As appears from mentioning it so very often in thy Word by secret and mental Prayer by having your Souls always in a frame and disposition to Pray by praying in the Assembly of the upright where only Christians are gathered together and by Praying in the Congregation Where tho' there may be a mixt Multitude of Saints and Sinners yet thy Prayers of Faith and thy lifting up holy hands will find acceptance with God for all that Give your selves continually to attend upon the hearing of the Ministry of the Word Go unto and frequent constantly the place when and where it is Preached Lose no opportunity Ye can hardly conceive how much I have been vexed and troubled in mind at my doing things by halves or by my losing opportunities in Temporal and Wordly concerns For these opportunities slip by and often cannot be retrieved But where they may be retrieved it is always with expence of more time and labour all which had been saved if the thing had been throughly done the first time And I somewhat knowing the worth of time the gliding away of time and the Irrecoverableness of time there is nothing which I so much grudge at as the loss of time It is a Maxim and Rule of Prudence and Wisdom in things pertaining to this present Life To lose no opportunities But be sure to lay hold on and make the most of every opportunity Much more it is Godly discretion and soul saving wisdom to lose no opportunity but to lay hold of and make the most of every opportunity in Spiritual and Eternal concerns As we have opportunity let us do Good unto all Men. People should not grudge and think much when they see a Poor Man or as Jobs Phrase is Not turn away their Eyes from a Poor Man But rather be glad and give God thanks for putting an opportunity into their hands that they may do good unto him and lay in more Foundation for their own future reward For as the Lord Jesus said It is more Blessed to give then to receive So it is a certain Truth they that give Alms have more reason to give God thanks then they that receive Alms for a twofold Reason because God hath placed them in such a condition whereby they are enabled to give Alms and also because he hath promised a future Recompence for the same and he will repay it In which last respect they are more beholden to the Poor Man or Beggar in receiving it from them then he is beholden unto them for giving to him which should teach thee to prevent him in thy Almsgiving even before he asks for it for this is the best sort as also to lose no opportunity for the same according to thine ability Lose no opportunity in any Godly or Christian Duty I charge thee before God and before the Lord Jesus Christ who shall Judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 1. Under this is included a charge to the People to hear the word also in season and out of season It is altogether as proper to hear or Preach the Word upon a Week Day as well as on a Sabbath Day It is equally your Duty to redeem two or three hours from the work of your calling for to attend on the same Countrey People will rise at one or two a Clock in a Morning to go to Markets to remote and distant places to get a Shilling or Eighteen Pence more then Ordinary This same is a Lesson and Instruction and God doth expect a like of his Creatures that ye should rise up a little Earlier in the Morning and sit down later at Night and only be a little more Temperate