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
A93749	The observation of the three great festivals asserted in the Christian church and that objection answered, from Gal 4. 10, 11., and also the right manner of the observance of them made known, in a sermon, preach'd on Easter-Day / by Richard Stafford.	Stafford, Richard, 1663-1703.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5127; ESTC R42800	18,000	24

the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt Exod 12. 41. It is a Night to be much observed unto the Lord. And so it came to pass that in those very Days and in the same time of the Year for all the Nation of the Jews were then gone up to Jerusalem to be present at this their Yearly Commemoration of their Deliverance out of Egypt and to observe the Feast of the Passeover That Jesus Christ according to the Flesh suffer'd and was put to Death on the Cross if not on the Mount of Olives yet on Mount Calvary which perhaps was a part thereof or very near unto it The Gospel saith That the Place was nigh to Jerusalem And he arose again However all this great Thing was transacted at the self same time of the Year in which that was as it doth abundantly and evidently appear from the History and Narration of all the four Evangelists concerning it And therefore it is a Night and a Day when in the Prophet Zechariah's Phrase it was not Night nor yet Day it being Twilight not Dark nor yet Light to be much observed unto the Lord yea to be observed by all Christians and by all that call themselves so in their Generations Most certain it is That it was much observed unto the Lord by the Apostles who had seen Jesus Christ in the Flesh and to whom He shewed himself alive after his Passion he being seen o● them Fourty Da●s and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Which things are not written and recorded but by their framing their Practice accordingly and by their assembling together on the first Day of the Week in Memory and Acknowledgment that their Lord did on that Day rise from the Dead Which also is the very Reason of that Change which hath been made of the Sabbath from the Seventh Day which the Jews kept Holy in Memory of the Creation because that God had finished his Work and rested on the Seventh Day and sanctified it to our Observation of the same Day of Rest separated and set apart for the more Solemn and Universal Worship now on the first Day of the Week which is called the Lord's-Day This is in Remembrance how that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose from the Dead on the first day of the Week And if it hath occasion'd the Change of the Sabbath Day throughout the whole Year well then may one particular Lord's Day in the Year be observed in an eminent Manner above and more than the other Lords Days and so it is done at this Day by the Churches throughout the Christian World This is the Day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Psal 118. 28. We read often in the Gospel of the Apostles and Primitive Christians assembling together on the first Day of the Week and John saith in the Revelations That he was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day Now it is a Rule and Maxim laid down by Augustine an Eminent Preacher and Writer in the Church of God a Learned and Holy Man in his Generation That whatever was practised by the Apostles themselves and by the Generality of Christians for the first Three Hundred Iears this being long before the Corruptions Errors and Additions of Popery came in for they came in about the Six Hundredth Year after Christ and the same is agreeable to the Cano●ical Scriptures as the Observation of the Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ commonly called Easter is Which is further manifest from the Controversies of the Eastern and Western Churches about the exact time of its Observance for both did agree that it was to be kept this saith Austine We ought to receive for Divine and Apostolick Institution And truly when we read in the Scripture it self yea in the Gospel And when the Day of Pentecost which we now commonly call Whitsuntide was fully come Acts 2. 1. Christ our Passeover is now risen therefore let us now keep the Feast the Apostle hereby seems to mean the very Feast of his Resurrection not with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness but with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth Here is enough to justifie even under the Gospel Dispensation and in this Gospel-Day the Observation of those three Great Festivals as is the Nativity and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Descent of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost like as the Jews the antient Worshippers of the Father did observe their Feast of Unleavened Bread the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Faber cles Deut. 16. 16. These were their three times of their appearing before the Lord at Jerusalem which God hath Instituted by Moses altho with and amongst them they had brought in their new Moons and other Days of their own Institution as also some Gentile Rites and Observations the Continuance whereof amongst those who were converted unto and had received the Christian Faith The Apostle Paul reproves when he saith Ye observe Days and Months and Times and Years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed on you Labour in vain Gal. 4. 10 11. That all this is chiefly if not only meant of the Jewish Customs Ceremonies and Observances appears from the foregoing Verse wherein he speaks unto them on this wise But now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly Elements wherein ye desire again to be in Bondage Importing as if it was an Incongruous and Unseemly Thing that after they had known the High Spiritual Free and Inward Dispensation of the Gospel they should again Apostatize and fall back to the Law which was made up of mean low carnal outward and slavish Observations and Customs From all this consider'd together we may learn and be instructed to beware of Extreams or of running from one wrong Extream to another or least under pretence of avoiding both Extreams which are bad We reject also the Truth which lies in the middle of them both for as when God had Instituted by Moses such and such Feasts to be observed amongst the Jews they did further bring in some Feasts and Observations of their own Now in this case if any Zealots or Godly Reformers instead of Purging out laying aside and abrogating these last they should go on also to neglect and cast off all the former they would not have done safely nor yet well In like manner it is at this day There are in the Christian Church three Great and Solemn Festivals aforemention'd which by the usage from the beginning of Christianity and by being mention'd therein and also being agreeable unto the Gospel They seem to be of Divine and Apostolical Institution and as such they ought to be observed unto the Lord yea to be observ'd of 〈◊〉 Christians in their Generations But besides among and between these the Papists and others by Humane Imposition and Invention have brought in a vast Number of

Holy-days in Memory of the Apostles and of their Saints as they would call and make them Now in this Case if we would have all things done according to the Pattern shewed to us in the Gospel see Heb. 8. 5. we should throw off and surcease from the Observation of many or most of these latter sort but therefore in no wise from the former I speak as unto wise Men judge ye what I say That is no good Argument why we should not Yearly Commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead because we would not willingly mind all the Saints Days in the Romish nor yet in the English Almanack Calender According to that Reasoning which may be gather'd from Matth. 23. 23. Seeing that the first seems to be the Mind and of the Institution of God This ought to be observed but the other being the Tradition Invention or Imposition of Man may be left unobserved and let alone We should be zealous for and observe each thing according as it is the Commandment and Institution of God But there is no such Obligation as to what proceeds only from the Law of a Carnal Commandment or from the Rudiments and Ordinances of Men. To shew and put a difference is one Essential Part of the Ministerial Duty Ezek. 22. 26. And thus to put a difference between what is of Divine Institution and Appointment to shew a Difference between the Law and Commandment of God and between the Orders and Impositions of Men As also to point out both Extreams for both Extreams are bad and to shew how the Truth lies in the middle way be tween them both All this Rightfully and Skilfully done would prevent abundance of Errors and Mistakes in Matters of Religion True indeed that now under the Gospel Oeconomy and Dispensation Holiness unto the Lord should be inscribed and intended in all the Actions of those who would frame and order their Conversation according to the same Gospel And consequently to a Christian Man or Woman every day to him or her not the Sabbath Day only but every Week Day also should be Holiness unto the Lord. And as every Day we draw nearer towards our End and so we ought to grow better Even so likewise we should endeavour that we keep each day to morrow more than this notwithstanding it be the Week Day and this is Sabbath more and more Holy unto the Lord and try also if you can live the next Day yet more Holy Sober and Innocent and so on Nevertheless as in the Six Days it is lawful to do worldly Work and Labour and therein we serve God acceptably also as on the Lord's Day in the Place of his Worship which yet is not lawful to do on that And as we read in the Scriptures of a double Portion and of a double measure of the Spirit of Pre-eminence and Excellency that Christ in all things should have the Pre-eminence so in like manner all this hinders not that tho every Day unto a Christian Man or Woman should be Holy unto the Lord yet nevertheless some particular Days as those Three Great Festivals before-mentioned may be Holy above all the rest by way of Pre-eminence and Excellency Having thus prepared the way and shew'd the middle way between the too much superstitious Observance of Holy Days on one Hand and the total Neglect or Contempt of them on the other Let no Man therefore judge you in Meat or in Drink or in Respect of an Holy Day or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath Days which are a Shadow of Things to come but the Body is of Christ Col. 2. 16 17. The Apostle doth not here speak to surcease the Use of them utterly in no wise But as those great Holy days now in Use and Observation among us have all a Relation and Tendency unto Christ as his Nativity his Suffering on the Cross His Resurrection from the Dead His Ascension up to the Right Hand of God and his sending the Holy Ghost and Comforter on his Disciples Apostles and Followers on the Day of Pentecost and so in a less measure on each Day of our Assembling our selves together throughout the Year Proceed we now to shew the right manner how to observe this Holy-day in the which our Saviour Jesus Christ rose from the Dead As to which there cannot be a more fit proper and pertinent Text in all the Bible than that we have chosen If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above Wherein is to be taken notice of 1. a thing supposed If ye then be risen with Christ 2. A Direction given Seek those things which are above From the Words consider'd all together is intimated forth that wrong manner of observing Festivals now in Use in the World who look upon and practice it no other than as a time of Feasting and Idleness But herein they forget the Benefits which Christ did for them at such a time as also what Duty is expecting from themselves as arising from thence The Scripture like the Author thereof Christ Jesus who is the Word of God doth effectually answer that true End of his Priesthood As to have Compassion upon the Ignorant and those who are out of the way that is to Heaven and Happiness The Scripture gives them Notice and Warning and Direction to put them in the way again Many of the Commandments and Directions in Scripture are silent Reproofs for it often doth in an implied Manner take Notice of what is amiss or wanting in order to rightly instruct and make it up again And so where Paul by the Spirit speaketh on this wise If then ye be risen with Christ In that manner of Speech of his is contained an hidden Innuendo or Meaning as if many were not risen with Christ for He writes unto these as the choice and best of Christians and thereby He implies that even they had made a good Proficiency and Advancement if even they had gone and proceeded so far which can in no wise be said of that mixed Multitude which is abroad in the World Again many do hear or read concerning the Resurrection of Christ but they do not at the very same time mind and give heed unto what Instruction and Application is to be made thereof unto themselves namely That they also should be risen with Christ For altho People now living on the Earth are not put to Death on the Cross nor as yet laid in the Grave as He was how then can they rise with him This Question is somewhat like that of Nicodemus in John 3. 4. and like that in 1 Cor. 15. 35 36. and so it is to be answer'd in like mauner For as Jesus answer'd Nicodemus Verily verily I say unto thee except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit He cannot enter into the Kingdom of God even so it is here except a Man be risen with Christ he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God he can have