Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	command_n	young_a	youth_n	35	3	7.4107	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50480	En oligo christianos, the almost Christian discovered, or, The false-professor tried and cast being the substance of seven sermons, first preached at Sepulchres, London, 1661, and now at the inportunity of friends made publick / by Matthew Meade.	Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.	1662 (1662)	Wing M1546; ESTC R9895	121,691	343

all with whom he converseth Religion beautifies the conversation of a man and sets him off to the eye of the World The grace of God is no friend to a morose churlish unmannerly behaviour among men it provokes in us an affable demeanour and sweetness to all and where this is found it winneth respect and love from all 2. Iam 2.2 3. A man may love a Saint for his outward greatness and splendor in the world men are very apt to honour worldly greatness And therefore the rich Saint shall be loved and honored whilst the poor Saint is hated and despised This is as if a man should value the goodness of his sword by the imbroidery of his belt or his horse for the beauty of his trappings rather then for his strength and swiftness True love to the Children of God reaches to all the children of God poor as well as rich bond as well as free ignoble as well as noble for the image of Christ is alike amiable and lovely in all 3. A man may love a child of God for his fidelity and usefulness in his place Where religion in the power of it taketh hold of a mans heart it makes him true to all his betrustments diligent in business faithful in all his relations and this obligeth respect A carnal Master may prize a godly Apprentice or Servant that makes conscience of pleasing his Master and is diligent in promoting his interest I might instance in many things of the like nature as Charity Beauty Wit Learning Parts c. which may procure love to the people of God from the men of the world But this love is no proof of charity For First It is but natural love arising from some carnal respect or self-ends that love which is made by the Scripture an evidence of our Regeneration is a spiritual love Col. 1.8 the principle load-stone and attractive whereof is grace and holiness it is a love which imbraceth a righteous man in the name of a Righteous man Mat. 10.41 2. A carnal mans love to Saints is a limited and bounded love it is not universal Ester 10.3 to all the seed Now as in sin he that doth not make conscience of every sin maketh conscience of no sin as sin so he who doth not love all in whom the Image of Christ is found loveth none for that of the Image of Christ which is found in them Now then if the love we bear to the people of God may possibly arise from natural love onely or from some carnal respect or if it be a limited love not extended to all the people of God then it is possible that a man may love the people of God and yet be no better then almost a Christian 18. A man may obey the commands of God yea many of the commands of God and yet be but almost a Christian Balaam seems very conscientious of steering his course by the compass of Gods command when Balak sent to him to come and curse the people of God saith Balaam If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God Numb 22.18 Numb 23.12 20 26. and so in the 38. v. saith he the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak The young man went far in obedience Mark 10.20 all these have I observed from my youth up and yet he was but an Hypocrite for he for sook Christ after all But is it not said he that hath my commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him John 14.21 and doth not our Lord Christ tell us expresly ye are my friends if ye do what I command you John 15.14 and can a man be the friend of Christ and yet be but almost a Christian Sol. I answer that there is an obedidience to the commands of Christ which is a sure proof of our Christianity and friendship to Christ This obedience hath a three-fold property It is Evangelical Vniversal Continual First It is an evangelical obedience and that both in matter and manner ground and end In the matter of it and that is what God requires John 15.14 ye are my friends if ye do whatever I command you In the manner of it and that is according as God requires John 4.24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth In the ground of it and that is a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 In the end of it and that is the honour and glory of God whatever ye do do all to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Numb 14.24 Psal 119.6 Secondly It is an universal obedience which extendeth it self to all the Commands of God alike it respects the duties of both Tables such was the obedience of Caleb who followed the Lord fully and of David who hadrespct to all the commands Thirdly It is a continual obedience a putting the hand to Gods Plow without looking back Iucipere muliorum est perseverare poucorum Bern. I have inclined my heart to performe thy statutes alway even to the end Psal 119.112 He that thus obeys the Command of God is a Christian indeed a friend of Christ indeed but all obedience to the commands of God is not this obedience For 1. There is a partial obedience a peece-meal Religion when a man obeys God in one command and not another own 's him in one duty and not another when a man seems to make conscience of the duties of one Table and not of the duties of another This is the Religion of most Now this obedience is no obedience for as he that doth not love God above all doth not love God at all so he that doth not obey all the commands universally cannot be said to obey any command truly It is said of those in Samaria that they feared the Lord and served their own Gods after their own manner 2 Kings 17.33 and yet in the very next verse it is said they feared not the Lord so that their fear of the Lord was no fear in like manner that obedience to God is no obedience which is but a partial and peice-meal obedience 2. A man may obey much and yet be in his old nature and if so then all his obedience in that estate is but Splendidum peccatum a painted sin he that offereth an oblation is as if he offered swines blood and he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idol Isa 66.3 The nature must be renewed before the command can be rightly obeyed for a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit Matth. 7.18 Whatever a mans performances are they cannot be called obedience whilst the heart remaineth unregenerate because the principle is false and unsound every duty done by a beleiver is accepted of God as a

reproved or the Hypocrite laid open in the Ministry of the word they presently cry out it is I. It is the Hypocrites fault to sit under the tryals and discoveries of the Word and yet not to mind them And it is the weak Christians fault to draw sad conclusions of their own state from premises which nothing concern them There is indeed great use of such Doctrine as this is to all beleivers 1. To make them look to their standing Mat. 7.24 26. upon what bottome they are and to see that the foundation of their hope be well laid that they build not upon the Sand but upon a Rock 2. It helps to raise our admiration of the distinguishing love of God in bringing us into the way everlasting P●a 139.24 when so many perish from the way and in overpowering our souls into a true conversion when so many take up with a graceless profession 3. It incites to that excellent duty of heart searching 1 Cor. 13.5 that so we may approve our selves to God in sincerity 4. It ingages the soul in doubled diligence that it may be found not onely beleiving but persevering in faith to the end These duties and such as these are make this Doctrine of use to all beleivers but they ought not to make use of it as a stumbling block in the way of their peace and comfort Isa 50.1 Mat. 12.20 My design in preaching on this subject is not to make sad the souls of those whom Christ will not have made sad I would bring water not to quench the flax that is smoking but to put out that false fire that is of the sinners own kindling least walking all his days by the light thereof he should at last lie down in sorrow My aim is to level the mountain of the sinners confidence not to weaken the hand of the beleivers faith and dependance to awaken and bring in secure formal sinners not to discourage weak beleivers Iob. 17.9 Secondly I would premise this though many may go far very far in the way to Heaven and yet fall short yet that soul that hath the least true grace shall never fall short The righteous shall hold on his way Psal 7.10 Though some may dovery much in a way of duty as I shall shew hereafter and yet miscarry yet that soul that doth duty with the least sincerity shall never miscarry For he saveth the upright in heart The least measure of true grace is as saving as the greatest it saves as surely though not so comfortably The least grace gives a full interest in the blood of Christ whereby we are throughly purged and it gives a full interest in the strength and power of Christ whereby we shall be certainly preserved 1 Pet. 1.5 Christ keeps faith in the soul and faith keeps the soul in Christ and so we are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation Thirdly I would premise this they that can hear such truths as this without serious reflection and self examination I much suspect the goodness of their condition You 'l suspect that man to be next door to a bankerupt that never casts up his shop nor looks over his books and I as verily think that man a hypocrite that never searches nor deals with his own heart He that goes on in a road of duty 's without any rub or doubting of his state I doubt no mans state more then his When we see a man sick and yet not sensible we conclude the tokens of death are upon him So when sinners have no sence of their spiritual condition it is plain that they are dead in sin the tokens of eternal death are upon them These things being premised which I desire you would carry along in your mind while we travel through this subject I come to speak to the proposition more distinctly and closely Doct. That there are very many in the world that are almost and yet but almost Christians I shall demonstrate the truth of the proposition and then proceed to a more distinct prosecution 1. I shall demonstrate the truth of the proposition and I shall do it by Scripture evidence which speaks plain and fully to the case 1. The young man in the Gospel is an eminent proof of this truth in Mat. 19. from the 16 to the 23. verse There you read of one that came to Christ to learn of him the way to Heaven v. 16. Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life Our Lord Christ tells him v. 17. if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandements and when Christ tels him which he Answers v. 20. Lord all these have I kept from my youth up what lack I yet Now do but see how far this man went Luk. 11.8 1. He obeyed he did not onely hear the Commands of God but he kept them now the Scripture saith blessed is he that hears the Word of God and keeps it 2. He obeyed universally not this or that command but both this and that he did not halve it with God or pick and chuse which were easiest to be done and leave the rest no but he obeys all all these things have I kept ●os 6.4 3. He obeyed constantly not in a fit of zeal onely but in a continued series of duty his goodness was not as Ephraims like the morning dew that passes away no all these things have I kept from my youth up 4 He professeth his desire to know and do more to perfect that which was lacking of his obedience and therefore he goes to Christ to instruct him in his duty Master what lack I yet Now would you not think this a good man alass how few go thus far And yet as far as he went he went not far enough he was almost and yet but almost a Christian for he was an unsound Hypocrite he forsakes Christ at last and cleaves to his lust v. 21. This then is a full proof of the truth of the Doctrine A second proof of it is that of the Parable of the Virgins Mat. 25.1 and so on See what a Progress they make how far they go in a profession of Christ 1. They are called Virgins now this is a name given in the Scripture Psal 45 14 both in the Old Testament and New to the Saints of Christ Cant. 1.3 2 Cor. 1 2 3. The Virgins love thee so Revel 14.4 the One hundred forty and four thousand that stood with the Lamb on Mount Sion are called Virgins They are called Virgins because they are not defiled with the corruptions that are in the World through lust 2 P●ta 4. Mat. 25.1 Now these here seem to be of that sort for they are called Virgins v. 3 Hisu at non quaiescunque animae sed 1. les quae habent cathalicam fidem habere vid ntur bona opera in ecclesia dei Aug De ver

may attain to an outward sanctification and yet for want of the inward be no better then almost a Christian 20. And so I shall end this long pursuit of the almost Christian in his progress Heaven-ward with this one general conclusion A man may do all as to external duties and worship that a true Christian can and when he hath done all be but almost a Christian You must know all the Commands of God have an intra and an extra there is as may say the body and the soul of the command And accordingly there is an internal and an external worship of God Now the internal acts of worshipping of God are to love God to fear God to delight in God to trust in God c. The external acts of Worshipping God are by praying teaching hearing c. Now there is a vast difference between these internal and external acts of Worship and indeed such a difference there is that they distinguish the altogether from the almost Christian The sincere beleiver from the unsound professor and indeed in this very thing the main difference between them doth lie 1. Internal acts of Worship are good propter fieri the goodness doth adhere intrinsecally to the thing done a man cannot love God nor fear God but it will be imputed to him for a gracious act and a great part of his Holiness But now external acts of Worship are not denominated good so much from the matter done propter fieri as from the manner of doing them a man cannot sin in loving and delighting in God but he may sin in praying and hearing c. for want of a due manner 2. Internal acts of worship put a goodness into external it is our faith our love our fear of God that makes our duties good 3. They better the heart and greaten the degrees of a mans holiness external duties do not always do this a man may pray and yet his heart never the holier he may hear the word and yet his heart never the softer but now the more a man fears God the wiser he is Prov. 1.7 the more a man loves God the holier he is love is the perfection of holiness we shall never be perfect in holiness till we come to be perfect in love 4. There is such an excellency in this internal worship that he who mixes it with his external duties is a true Christian when he doth least but without this mixture he is but almost a Christian that doth most Internal acts of Worship joyned with outward sanctifie them and make them accepted of God though few external acts of Worship without inward make them abhorred of God though they be never so many So that though the almost Christian may do all those duties in Hypocrise which a true Christian doth in sincerity nay though in doing external duties he may out-do the true Christian as the comet makes a greater blaze then the true Stars if Eliah fast and mourn Baals Priests will cut their flesh Yet he cannot do those internal duties that the meanest true Christian can The almost Christian can pray but he cannot love God he can teach or hear c. but he cannot take delight in God Mark Job's query concerning the Hypocrite Iob 27.10 This is Christianorum pro pria virtus will he delight himself in the Almighty He will pray to the Almighty but will he delight himself in the Almighty will he take pleasure in God Ah no! he will not he cannot Delight in God arise from a suitableness between the faculty and the object now none more unsuitable then God and a carnal heart Delight arises from the having what we desire Haec prrpris est delectationis materia si cum habeas quae desideraveris defideratis perfruaris Pined in Loc. and from enjoying what we have how then can he delight in God that neither enjoyeth nor hath nor truely desireth God Delight in God is one of the highest exercises of grace and therefore how can he delight in God that hath no grace Why then should any Saint of God be discouraged when he hears how far the almost Christian may go in the way to Heaven when as he that is the weakest true beleiver that hath the least true grace goes farther then he for he beleives in and loves God Should the almost Christian do less as to matter of external duties yet if he had but the least true faith the least sincerity of love to Christ he would surely be saved and should the true Christian do ten times more duties then he doth yet had he not faith in Christ and love to Christ he would surely be rejected Oh therefore let not any weak beleiver be discouraged though Hypocrites may out-do them and go beyond them in duty for all their duties are done in Hypocrisie but your faith and love to God in duties is a proof of your sincerity I do not speak this to discourage any soul in the doing of duties or to beat down outward performances but to rectifie the soul in the doing of them 1 Cor. 12 31. As the Apostle saith covet earnestly the best gifts but yet I shew unto you a more excellent way so I say covet the best gifts cover to be much in duties much in prayer much in hearing c. But yet I shew you a more excellent way and that is the way of faith and love pray much but then beleive much too Hear much read much but then love God much too Delight in the Word and Ordinances of God much but then delight in the God of Ordinances more And when you are most in duties as to your use of them Oh then be sure to be above duties as to your resting and dependance upon them Would you be Christians indeed altogether Christians oh then be much in the use and exercise of ordinances but be much more in faith and dependance upon Christ and his Righteousness when your obedience is most to the command then let your faith be most upon the promise The professor rests in his duties and so is but almost a Christian but you must be sure to rest upon the Lord Christ this is the way to be altogether Christians for if ye beleive then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise And thus I have answered the first query to wit how far may a man go in the way to Heaven and yet be but almost a Christian 1. He may have much knowledge 2. He may have great gifts 3. He may have a high profession 4. He may do much against sin 5. He may desire grace 6. He may tremble at the Word 7. He may delight in the Word 8. He may be a Member of the Church of Christ 9. He may have great hopes of Heaven 10. He may be under great and visible changes 11. He may be very zealous in the matters of Religion 12. He may be much in prayer 13. He may suffer for Christ 14. He

of sin whereas he should run to Christ and close with him and beg his righteousness for a covering that the shame of his nakedness do not appear Rev. 3.18 he rather runneth to a life of duties and performances and thus maketh himself a covering wlth the fig-leaves of a profession without Christ truely imbraced and conscience at all renewed Naural man would fain be his own Saviour and suposeth a change of state to be a thing within his own power and that the true work of grace lieth in leaving off the practise of fin and taking up a life of duties and therefore upon this principle doth many a graceless professour outstrip a sound beleiver for he resteth in his own performances and hopeth these will commend him to God If a natural conscience may go thus far then what difference is there between this natural conscience in Hypocrites and sinners and a renewed conscience in beleivers or how may I know whether the workings of my conscience be the workings of nature onely or else of grace wrought in it I grant that it is difficult to distinguish between the one and the other and the difficulty hath a twofold rise 1. It ariseth from that Hypocrisie that is in the best Saints the weakest beleiver is no Hypocrite but yet there is some Hypocrisie in the strongest beleiver where there is most grace there is some sin and where there is most sincerity yet there is some Hypocrisie Now it is very incident to a tender conscience to misgive and mistrust its state upon the fight of any sin when he sees Hypocrisie break out in any duty or performance then he complaines surely my aims are not sincere my conscience is not renewed it is but natural conscience inlightened not by grace purged and changed 2. It ariseth from that resemblance there is between grace and Hypocrisie for Hypocrisie is a resemblance of grace Pigmalion m●ae an image so lively ib it hedeceived himself and taking the Victure for a person fell in love with the Picture without substance the likeness of grace without the life of grace There is no grace but a Hypocrite may have somewhat like it and there is no duty done by a Christian but an Hypocrite may outstrip him in it Now when one that hath not true grace shall go farther then one that hath this may well make the beleiver question whether his grace be true or not or whether the workings of his conscience be not the workings of nature onely rather then of grace wrought in it But to answer the Question you may make a judgement of this in these seven particulars 1. If a natural mans conscience putteth him upon duty he doth usually bound himself in the Work of God his duties are limited his obedience is a limited obedience he doth one duty and neglecteth another he picketh and chuseth among the Commands of God obeyeth one and slighteth another Thus much is enough what need any more if I do thus and thus I shall go to Heaven at last Ps 119.20 But now where Conscience is renewed by grace there it is otherwise Though there may be many weaknesses which accompanie its duties yet that soul never bounds it self in working after God it never loves God so much but still it would love him more nor seeks him so much but still it would seek him more nor doth it serve God so well at any time but still it makes conscience of serving him better A renewed conscience is a spring of universal obedience Psal 119.128 for it seeth an infinite excellency and goodness and holiness in God and therefore would fain have its service rise up towards some proportionableness to the object a God of infinite excellency and goodness should have infinite love saith Conscience a holy God should have service from a holy heart saith conscience Now then If I set bounds to my love to God or to my service to God if I limit my self in my obedience to the holy God love one command and slight another obey in one point and yet lie cross in another then is all I do but the working of a natural conscience But on the other hand if I love the Lord with my whole heart and whole soul and serve him with all my might Mat. 22.37 Mark 17.33 and strength If I esteem all Gods precepts concerning all things to be right and have respect to all the Commands then is my love and service from a renewed conscience 2. If a natural mans conscience check or accuse for sin then he seeketh to step the mouth of it but not to satisfie it most of the natural mans duties are to still and stifle conscience But now the beleiver chuseth rather to let conscience cry then to stop the mouth of it until he can do it upon good terms until he can fetch in satisfaction to it from the blood of Jesus Christ by fresh acts of faith apprehended and applied The natural man seeketh to still the noise of conscience rather then to remove the guilt the beleiver seeketh the removal of guilt by the application of Christs blood and then conscience is quiet of it self As a foolish man having a Mote fallen into his eye and making it water he wipeth away the water and labours to keep it dry but never searcheth his eye to get out the Mote but a wise man mindeth not so much the wiping as the searching his eye some-what is got in and that causeth the watering and therefore the cause must be removed Now then if when conscience accuseth for sin I take up a life of duties a forme of godliness to stop the mouth of Conscience and if hereupon conscience be still and quiet then is this but a natural conscience but if when conscience checks it will not be satisfied with any thing but the blood of Christ and therefore I use duties to bring me to Christ and if I beg the sprinckling of his blood upon conscience and labour not so much to stop the mouth of it as to remove guilt from it then is this a renewed conscience 3. There is no natural man let him go never so far let him do never so much in matters of Religion but still he hath his Dalilah his bosome lust Judas went far Ioh. 12.6 but he carried his covetousness along with him Herod went far Mar. 6.20 he did many things under the force of Johns Ministry but yet there was one thing he did not he did not put away his Brothers Wife v. 17 18. his Herodias lay in his bosome still Nay commonly all the natural mans duties are to hide some sin his profession is onely made use of for a covershame Psa 66.18 Psa 119.128 But now the renewed conscience hateth all sin as David did I hate every false way he regardeth no iniquity in his heart he useth duties not to cover sin but to help work down and work out sin Ro. 2.23 Now