Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	church_n	day_n	sabbath_n	20,024	5	9.8526	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58047	Solitude improved by divine meditation, or, A treatise proving the duty and demonstrating the necessity, excellency, usefulness, natures, kinds and requisites of divine meditation first intended for a person of honour, and now published for general use by Nathanael Ranew.	Ranew, Nathanael, 1602?-1678.	1670 (1670)	Wing R248; ESTC R30539	209,120	405

week now in the New Testament times changed to and called the first day of the week and the Lords-day 1. As to the rise nature ends and advantages the Sabbath in the Old Testament and the Lords-day in the New it is the best day that ever the world saw or shall be seen on this side Heaven 2. It was and is that day wherein the infinite Glories and Excellencies of a God have shined brighter and warmer on the spirits of men than in any other days beside namely his infinite Wisdom Power Love Goodness Mercy and Riches of free Grace 3. The Sabbath as some judge had its rise so early as in Paradise or when man was in state of innocency it must then be of very great Antiquity and a rarity of great worth And 4. Then it must be that only holy day which man in state of innocency had and possibly if he had stood should ever have had afterward 5. After the first institution it had the most glorious and tremendous promulgation and sanction such a delivery and ratification as no other Law except those that were spoken at the same time ever had namely by Gods so wonderful and most astonishing appearance on Mount Sinai in the sight of six hundred thousand persons There it was one of the ten words spoken by Gods own mouth by God first spoken in the ears of all that so prepared and awakened numerous multitude and after in the Mount was written with the finger of God written on the first Table of Stone before the six Commandments of the second Table This Commandment thus written was with the others reserved in the Golden Ark or Chest made purposely by Moses from Gods Command to keep the Tables and then by Gods Appointment was to be preserved in the glorious Tabernacle made by Moses and there it was to be with highest honour prefer'd to be kept in the Holy of Holies 6. Though some yield it not yet others judge the Sabbath had its change from the seventh to the first day of the week by the Lord of the Sabbath Christ himself or at least by his Apostles from his Authority 7. However it be changed yet it is lookt upon as grounded on that so amazing part of our Redemption Christs so glorious Resurrection on the third day after his Passion 8. The Sabbath formerly was the Old Testament Churches fixed time to behold as in a mirrour the glory of God the Creator his Eternal Godhead Power Wisdom Goodness and most glorious Excellencies in the so admirable frame of Heaven and Earth and the so various and curious pieces in it all most exquisitely wrought and finisht It was the peculiar time for setting up the Ladder of the Creatures by Contemplation to climb from Earth to Heaven with But now changed into the first day of the week it is the Christian Churches time for beholding as in a mirrour the glory more peculiarly of God the Redeemer now not in his Humiliation but in his appearing and begun Exaltation in that his glorious Resurrection from the dead that his concerned people might joy with highest and most heavenly rejoycing for this rising of the Sun of Righteousness to be under the warmest and most vivifical beams of his infinite love 9. Let me Meditate of this day as the time afforded for largest spiritual advantages no day being so eminent for me and my Soul as this day 10. Let me Meditate of this day as that happy season wherein the Ordinances of Christ do run in a fuller higher and stronger current More is offered me on this great soul-mart day than on other common Market-days other week-day opportunities it is the day whereby in some respects I have far better Ordinances the Publick in Communion with Christ in the midst among those that are gathered together in his Name And then by the Publick I have better advantages for the Private to perform them better Private Duties having a better time and better helps I must thereby be minded of my better performance 11. It is the eminent day of meeting with God in his upper walks of more solemn Ordinances 12. The day of days for our best speaking with our God and of highest familiarity with him 13. It 's the great time of our hearing from God and having him most eminently to speak to us There be no hearings from God like this days hearings no such voice no such efficacy can be expected as on this day 14. It is the day wherein God sits out and is most to be seen the great day of seeing Gods goings in the Sanctuary seeing his Power and his Glory No such day for this as the Lords own day Ps 63.2 15. A day of feeding more on the Feast of fat things full of Marrow Isa 25.6 Of being brought into the Kings Banquetting-House having the Banner of Christs love spread more amply over us than at other times it being the day wherein the highest flamings up of his unspeakable love appeared in that he not only died but rose again from the dead without which all his other labour and sufferings had been lost and our souls been also lost 1 Cor. 15. 16. It is a day dropt down from Heaven may serve to give a taste of the Sabbath and day kept there and to set a Copy for us here to write after in our holy restings and actings attended with heavenly refreshings God that made all things when he had finished his work he then rested on the seventh day and with his example of resting gave the precept of sanctifying the seventh day to the Church of the Old Testament And the Lord of the Sabbath Christ Jesus resting from his work and rising the first day of the week gives the Example and with the Example the Precept of resting and keeping holy the first day of the week to the Church of the New Testament as some think which therefore Rev. 1.10 they say is called the Lords day as the Ordinance of the Supper is called the Lords Supper as instituted by him 17. It is the day of resting the body from labour of respiteing the mind from worldly thoughts and cares and of refreshing the spirit with heavenly Manna which rains down now on this day more plentifully and with water of life that runs more abundantly in the pure Channels of holy Ordinances 18. Meditated on it should be as the season of the best reciprocations mutual actings between Earth and Heaven wherein the soul hath the advantage of acting higher and more vigorously to glorifie and please God Psal 24.5 and wherein God commands the blessing more and affords assistances more usually than on any other days as experiences prove 19. It s a time to come from sweeter and fuller communion with God in Christ whose blessed day it is to come with our faces shining and hearts flaming made better to be on Earth fitter to live in Heaven And hereupon 20. To leave upon the spirit a more eager longing fully to

this spring of self and sinful interest is more apt to owse out of my heart and make a breach in the Banks that Christ by his grace hath made there That particular evil which is so strong stirring and striving to carry me down the stream and keep me under I was upright saith the Prophet Psal 18.23 before him and kept my self from mine iniquity that sin which had been of peculiar prevalence and would be so again the sin that had special edge and eagerness too oft appearing and endeavouring it attempting to make its escape from his watch his heart-keeping and appear in act and power There is some corruption or evil in every spirit which like some rank weed in the Garden is still putting up or ready to put forth like some leak in a Vessel ready to run out by it This needs a special minding and considering sutable to its dangerousness as that which will be a thorn in the Foot hinder our going work disquiet dash our confidence before God and weaken our hands from our work I must peculiarly consider this daily that it get not at any time ground of me but that I gain upon it more that I watch it fight it look that this Gangreen spread not run not up to my heart but that I stop and kill it Minding it duly will provoke to endeavour a right course for the just cure and sound healing of it Meditation may be also of what other evils are busie in my bosom what are stirring most what are getting any ground and what are losing it 2. What graces I want or have most need of to enable me more to lift up the Name of Christ sweeten my spirit with peace ease my course and render me more serviceable to others Every day I should well attend to what Gospel Ornaments and Jewels I ought to put on and wear before others to make my conversation shine Col. 3.12 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7. Pliny reports of Poppaea the Wife of the Roman Emperour Nero that when she was to go abroad she still would be deckt and adorn'd with such abundance and varieties of most precious Stones and Jewels as it dazled the eyes of the Beholders And I have read of a like manner of the Mogul or great Emperour in the East-Indies who if on some special times he sits out to be seen by the Common people he puts on such great numbers of Diamonds Carbuncles Rubies and other glistering and glorious Jewels as they cannot without great admiration behold him yea can hardly by reason of the Suns shining and reflections discern his face the glory of the Jewels is so great Christians must consider their putting on and wearing the rich Ornaments and Jewels of heavenly graces to shine gloriously in them and take the Eyes of all that behold them with the discoveries of the Soul inward Beauties of Faith Love Hope Joy Fear Humility Meekness Patience Contentedness heavenly mindedness and rest to the glory of Christ in whose beams of Beauty and Glory they ever should shine 3. When holy David in his course of Meditation after matters of his private concernment closes so ordinarily the whole Meditation with that grand interest of Zion the Churches case may not this be then a Rule to our Meditation for a high demonstration of our publick spiritedness our constant mindings of that superlative and transcendent interest of God in this world the glory of his great Name in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the people given to him their peace prosperity and glory and the disappointments of all their Enemies Designs which also is an Article in their Heavenly Jointure Some other particulars might farther be mentioned to be taken in by Meditation such as matters of our callings and daily converse in varieties of Companies and Friends and how to be right Christian in them excell in improving them to their proper uses and ends for the glory of God 4. Meditation for review of the work of the day There remains but one thing more to be added namely in the close of the day should be or is fit to be that Meditation of review or that overlooking of matters in the foregoing day to make a happy closing it up by a fresh humbling our selves and returning to God and acting new Recumbencies on his free rich grace in Christ by the precious promises to sweeten our lying down 5. And in the Night season that great time with David and others of the Saints When I awake let me be ever with God and my Meditation of him sweet Psal 139. Psal 104. The sum of that hath been mentioned about daily Meditation is 1. To enter the Duty at our awaking with Reflections on the matters of the Night past the preservations and comforts especially of that time 2. To look forward to the incumbencies of the coming day and how best to redeem it by Endeavour 1. To act a fresh setting up the supreme end of glorifying God 2. To have a serious musing on the next end my own Eternal Happiness 3. Then to mind the proportionate means to the mark or end I aim at 1. Therefore first to look wishly at the fullness of Christ freely offered as the way to God and happiness 2. To Meditate on our mighty helper the Holy Spirit the great Applyer of Redemption 3. Meditations on the Ordinances of Christ the walks and ways the Holy Spirit comes in and applies Christ to the Soul by 4. Meditation of the Word and Promises which the Spirit in the Ordinances useth as the peculiar instruments of drawing the heart to Christ and of applying him daily more 5. Meditation of the several Graces to be continually on the occasions requiring exercised and improved 6. Meditation of our spiritual Enemies the Flesh within Satan and the World without More particularly 1. Meditating in reference to reading the Holy Scripture with those graces I am to exercise in my Reading 2. The Meditation private Prayer calls for if I pray before reading or when I can and am any time in the day to pray privately 3. Meditation of what is the chief grace I am defective in or the peculiar blessing I want at present 4. Meditation of the grand interest of God as relating to his Church in the world 5. The Meditation of review or self-examination in reference to things of the day past These heads I have mentioned not to impose on any as to matter or method absolutely but to propose some things which if not alway necessary yet that may be performed in some degree as ability and opportunity admits Divers of the particulars if daily Meditation be judged necessary by us I am sure then they inust be judged necessary for such as daily will observe it CHAP. XIV Of the Sabbath and Lords day THere now remains but one thing more to be added to what hath been said concerning daily Meditation namely the Meditation relating to that eminent day of God first the seventh day of the

enjoy the Lord of the Sabbath and have time turned wholly into Eternity These or such like Meditations may be sutable and quickening for improving the great opportunity of this day of Christ and we cannot think too much or too seriously for this great occasion Having in some measure thus endeavoured to open and illustrate this point of daily Meditation both that which may be sutable for the six days and for the Lords day I pass to the next sort Occasional Meditation CHAP. XV. Of Occasional Meditation and that which is more extraordinary SOlemn Occasional Meditation comes now to be considered which is the souls taking of time for and acting Meditation on some particular selected subject either out of the Word of God or among the Works of God or somthing providentially falling out or somthing concerning our selves any thing offering fit occasion for fruitful Meditation They may be chiefly referr'd to these two heads 1. Either such things as purposely we out of varieties of subjects before us do single out for Meditation to help and quicken us in godliness 2. Or some new fresh thing which the hand of Gods Providence holdeth forth for our particular observing and improving 1. That which we ourselves out of varieties of subjects may or do single out for our spiritual advantage Here the scope and compass our Eye hath to make its choice of and fix upon is very large The Eye in Meditation hath before it the fullest fairest prospect can come in view Here is a breadth length depth height a compass and circumference that in point of lawful liberty you may look from Earth to Heaven yea through the whole world in all its vastness and varieties of objects in it and beyond them all unto him that is so infinitely above them all God himself in all his so inconceivable exaltations and perfections O how narrow then must that Spirit be which shall be straitned and at a loss for matter to employ and busie its seriousness about That hath so large a Field to walk in and so great varieties as the vast world Heaven and Earth and all things in them and the infinite God with so many infinite excellencies as are in him and yet to seek how to Meditate Ah how barren low and poor must that spirit be which is enriched with so great provisions for mind and thought entertainment and for times improvement and yet cannot fruitfully employ it self on some one thing or other that presents it self to us and invites our seeing and pondering of it Although Meditation hath so great a latitude and liberty a liberty to travel farther and see more by far than all the great Travellers that have bin in the world yet spiritual wisdom teacheth us to endeavour the most advantageous way of engaging our thinking power in Meditation For the wisdom of this way we now are upon it needs must lie in that manner and order as most may conduce to the great and main end of glorifying God and our own salvation It is most true that in point of liberty it is my Christian priviledge to take and set before me any profitable subject to intend my thoughts upon when no particular occasion of Meditation doth otherwise oblige me I say when no particular contrary obligation is upon me I may chuse to meditate either on this or that useful subject as I please I have the whole Creation for my Eye-walk my Meditation and spirits recreation yea and farther than the whole world extends I may go to contemplate him that is the highest if I please like David and other Saints of God I may with my Eye walk and look among the Works of God the so excellent and unimitable pieces of his most admirable framing On all the so stately Fabrick of the world any of the rare built stories lower or higher any of the rich Furnitures or exquisite things contained in it First I may view the lower story wherein I am fix upon the precious things the Earth hath within the riches of Minerals and precious Metals Silver Gold and the so useful other sorts the riches of all sorts of precious Stones Diamonds Carbuncles Rubies Emeralds and all the rest I may view the innumerable exquisite things upon the Earth from the Moss and imperfect Plants to the Grass made for the Cattel to all things growing in the whole Garden of Nature and more peculiarly made for the service of man among all the Herbs Flowers Shrubs and Trees of all sorts and see in them the so fair Characters of the infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness of the great Creator written most legibly on them I may Meditate on all sorts of living Creatures from the least and lowest Mite or Insect all creeping things with all Beasts and Birds that go upon the Earth wild or tame Consider I may their several Natures Features and Shapes Beauties and Excellencies and withall the serviceableness and usefulness of them to that poor Clod of earth man for whom they are I may look to the Waters Fountains Rivers and vast Seas with the innumerable things and Creatures about and in them Fowls Fishes and these of so many Kinds Forms and Shapes all of them the demonstrations of the infinite glories of that unimitable Artist the great God My Meditation also may with the Psalmist take in the eternal and mighty Hills and Mountains with the Rocks Sands and Bulwarks made against the raging Seas that they return not again to cover the earth Psal 104.9 I may go up to the higher stories of this Fabrick of the World to the Waters above to the Clouds and their Bottleings up of Waters in them and that so great wonder in Nature the invisible and so powerful Wind which carries the Clouds from place to place whereby they at length open fall down and water the thirsty Earth with Dews and Showrs they also serve to purge and purfie the Air we breathe in I may eye other sorts of Meteors or Exhalations and things appearing in the Air as those fiery and dreadful sometimes impressions making us to wonder the falling Stars flying Dragons fiery dartings of some and fixing standing brightnesses of others of several shapes To all these I may adde that Voice of God the fearful Thunder and the concomitant Coruscations and Lightnings Lightnings also sometimes alone all these are mighty and stupendious operations of the great God Higher yet I may go to another higher story that of the Starry Heaven contemplate the so innumerable Stars of several glories and wonderful motions influences with the beauteous Moon to shine by Night her changings encreasings and decreasings and hidings and that Eye of the World the most glorious Sun all so admirably meditated upon by the Psalmist Ps 8. Ps 19. Ps 104. Ps 136. I may go yet one step higher to that third Heaven the Palace of God where also Christ is in his humane Nature exalted and appearing in highest glory It is also the native place of