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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	command_v	day_n	sabbath_n	10,415	5	9.9260	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50245	An apologie of the churches in New-England for church-covenant, or, A discourse touching the covenant between God and men, and especially concerning church-covenant ... sent over in answer to Master Bernard, in the yeare 1639 ...	Mather, Richard, 1596-1669.; Peters, Hugh, 1598-1660.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1643 (1643)	Wing M1267; ESTC R180449	39,536	50

but onely that they were dull and slow of heart to consider of sundry dispensations of God towards them for as much is said of the disciples of Christ Mar. 8. 17 18. when doubtlesse they were not meere carnall or naturall persons This people Deut. 29. could not become the Lords people by entring into sol●mne Covenant with God for they were the Lords Church and people already before this 1. If they were yet that was by entring into solemne Covenant with God on Mount Sinai when the Lord had brought them up out of the Land of Aegypt for then they entred into solemne Covenant with God and God with them and so they became the Lords peculiar people Exod. 19 4 5 6 8. c. If they were his people before that yet that also was by Covenant made with them in the loynes of Abraham when God tooke him and his seede to be his Church and people yet separating Ishmael from Isaac and Esau from Iacob that the inheritance of the Covenant of God and of being the Church of God might rest in the house of Iacob 2. Yet it was not without great reason that the Lord should now establish them by solemne Covenant to be a people to himselfe because the Nation had been much degenerated from the spirit and wayes of Abraham in Aegypt and had broken that Covenant by their Idolatries there Ez●k. 20. 7 8. And the Covenant made in Sinai or Horeb when they were come out of Aegypt they had also broken by their Idolatries in the Wildernesse Ez●k 20. 13 16. for which causes and the like the Lord consumed that generation that they never entred into the Land Iosh. 5. 4 6. And therefore now when their posteritie and children were ready to enter in the Lord entred into Covenant with them and thereby established them to be his people their Fathers being cut off for breaking the Covenant But still it was by Covenant that both Fathers first and children afterward became a Church and people unto God and when this generation were entred into the Land their Covenant made before between God and them was confirmed by Circumcision Iosh. 5. 3 7. they being not Circumcised before But this Covenant was of the whole Church with God and therefore not like our Chu●ch-Covenants whi●h are between the Church and the members concerning watchfulnesse over one another and the like Our Church Covenants are with the Lord himselfe as was shewed before in the description thereof For watchfu●nesse and duties of edification one towards another are but branches of the Lords Covenant being duties commanded by the Law and so it was with that people of Israel who when they promised and Covenanted to walke in all the wayes of God in all his statutes and commandements and judgements they promised these du●ies of love and watch●ulnesse and e●ification one towards another because these were duties commanded and required o● God Lev. 19. 17 Deut. 29 ●8 the neglect whereof in the matter of Achan was the sinne of al● the Co●gregation and brought judgement upon them all Iosh 7. 11 12. Yea by this Covenant they were bound to duties towards them that were not then present but children afterward to beborne and prosely●es that afterward should be added to them ver. 14 15. Like as our Church-Covenants are with them that now are and that hereafter shall become members of the same Church When Iehojada made a Covenant between the King and the people 2 King 11. 17. that Covenant was but a branch of the Lords Covenant with them all both King and people for the King promised but to Rule the people righteously according to the will of God and the people to be subject to the King so Ruling Now these duties of the King to them and of them to the King were such as God required in his Covenant both of him and them and so it is in Church-Covenant the duties of the Church to the members and the members to the Church and one another are no other but such as the Gospel and the Covenant of grace requireth both of the Church and the members of it in their severall places But this place of Deut. 29. is not sufficient to prove a Church-Covenant in these dayes because it is in the Scriptures of the old Testament for whatsoever must be used in the dayes of the New T●stament must be proved from the Scriptures of the New Testament or else it is to be layd aside 1. The Church-Covenant may be proved from the New Testament also as will afterwards appeare 2. But suppose there were not pregnant places for it in the New Testament yet it is not enough to prove the same unlawfull for whatsoever Ordinance of the old Testament is not repealed in the New Testament as peculiar to the Jewish Paedagogie but was of morall and perpetuall equitie the same bindes us in these dayes and is to be accounted the revealed will of God in all ages though it be not particularly and expressely mentioned in the writings of the New Testament else how shall we prove it unlawfull for a man to marry his Sister or his Aunt How shall we prove it warrantable and necessary for Magistrates to punish Sabbath-breaking blasphemy and Idolatry How shall we prove it lawfull to apply the seale of Gods Covenant unto Infants or to admit women to eate of the holy things for the Scriptures of the New Testament doe speake little in these cases onely the Scriptures of the Old Testament doe give direction and light about them Lev. 18. 19. Neh. 13. 15. c. 2 Chron. 15. 16. 2 King 23. Gen. 17. 2. Exod. 12. 4. 6. And the New Testament hath nothing to the contrary and they are all according to morall equitie and reason and therefore they are to be observed from the Scriptures of the Old Testament as the revealed will of God though there were nothing expressely for them in the New And the same we say of the particular in hand For that a company should be combined together into one body in way of Government and subjection by way of mutuall free Covenant as men doe when they enter into Church Estate nothing is more naturall or agr●eable to morall equitie nay it implyeth a contradiction in the very name of libertie or freedome that free-men should take upon them authoritie or power over free men without their free consent and voluntary and mutuall Covenant or Engagement And therefore seeing this Covenant is not repealed in the Scriptures of the New Testament the Scriptures of the Old are sufficient warrant for it Another Scripture to prove the same is Deut. 26. 16 17 18. with Deut. 27. 9. This day the Lord hath commanded thee to doe these Statutes and Iudgements thou shalt therefore keepe and doe them c. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Statutes c. And the Lord

another because these are common to them all then how can Covenant distinguish them sith all Churches are joyned by Covenant one as well as another It is not a Covenant simply or a Covenant in generall that doth constitute a Church or distinguish one Church from another but a Covenant with application and appropriation to these persons Even as it is in marriage though all married couples be united by Covenant and a Covenant wherein one couple promiseth the same duties that another couple doth yet a Covenant with application and appropriation of the duties covenanted to this man and this woman in particular such a Covenant is the very thing that make a couple man and wife together and gives them mutuall power over each other as husband and wife and puts a distinction between them and all other men and women in the world And so it is in this case a Covenant to performe Church-duties with application and appropriation to such persons is the very thing that constitutes a Church and distinguisheth one Church from another And thus much concerning the former of the two particulars to shew the use of Church-Covenant viz. that it is that whereby a company doe become a Church The second particular is this taking hold of the Covenant or joyning in it is that which makes a particular person a member of a Church And this followes upon the former and that may be the first Argument to prove it If joyning in Covenant be that which makes a company to become a Church then taking hold of that Covenant is requisite to make a particular person become a member of the Church But the first is true as hath been shewed before Therefore the second is true also If compacting and conjoyning of stones and pieces of Timber be that that makes an house then a particular stone cannot become a part of that house till it be compacted and conjoyned to the rest But the former is true even in the Church of God which is the spirituall Spouse and Citie of God living stones Christians beleevers must be compacted together and builded up together Ephes. 2. 21. 22. Psal. 122. 3. and therefore the latter is true also that a particular Christian becomes a member of the Church a part of that building by being combined with the rest A second Argument may be drawne from the Scripture Isa. 56. 3 6 7. Let not the sonne of the stranger that hath joyned himselfe to the Lord speake saying the Lord hath utterly separated me from his people c. The sonnes of the strangers that joyne themselves to the Lord to serve him c. and take hold of my Covenant even them will I bring to my holy mountaine and make them joyfull in my house of Prayer c. Concerning which Scripture note three things to the present purpose First That these strangers were members of Christ true beleevers joyned to God by Faith for it is said they have joyned themselves to the Lord v. 3 v. 6. that they loved the name of the Lord served him and kept his Sabbaths v. 6. and yet for all this they were not as yet joyned as members of the visible Church for if they had been ioyned there would have been no cause for such a complaint the Lord hath separated me from his people v. 3. Besides bringing them into the Church as members and granting them the priviledge of members is promised as a reward and blessing upon this their joyning to the Lord by faith and obedience v. 7. And therefore it is not the same but a disti●ct thing from it the one being promised as a reward and blessing upon the other Secondly The Lord promiseth that he will make them members of his Church Them will I bring to my holy mountaine and make them joyfull in my house of Prayer Thirdly That among other things requisite to make them members this was one viz. the taking hold of that Covenant which was between the Church of Israel and God v. 6. So that hence we may gather that men may be members of Christ joyned to the Lord by faith and love and yet for the present not be members of the visible Church And that when God is so gracious to true beleevers as to make them members of his visible Church it is requisite that they joyne in Covenant before But might not faith in Christ beleeving in heart on the God of Israel be all the taking hold of the Covenant that is here meant Not so but over and above that here is also meant their open profession of their Faith in the God of Israel and open binding of themselves by Covenant to all such duties of faith and obedience as God required of the Church of Israel and the members thereof Now distinctly take the Answer to this Objection in three or foure particular Propositions First There was a Covenant between the Church of Israel and God Exod. 19. 5 6 7 8. Ezek 16. 8. Deut. 29. 10. c. Secondly This Covenant was mutuall not onely a promise on Gods part to be their God and to take them for his people but also reciprocally on their part to give up themselves unto God to be his people and to doe the dutie of people to their God The Covenant is not meerely to receive from God and promise nothing back againe to him nor doth God binde himselfe therein and leave men at libertie but it is mutuall on both parts as these Scriptures declare Gen. 17. 1. Exod. 19. 7. 8. Deut. 5. 27. 6. 16 17. Hos. 2. 23. Zach. 13. 9. Thirdly Hereupon it followes that if men had not promised and also performed in some measure of truth the duties of Faith and obedience unto God they had not taken hold of the Covenant but had discovenanted themselves notwithstanding all the promises of God unto their Fathers or others Thus though God promised Abraham to be a God to him and to his seede in their generations Gen. 17. 7. yet the Ishma●lites and Edomites descending from Abraham were discovenanted by not promising nor performing those duties of Faith and obedience which God required on the peoples part when a Covenant containes promises on Gods part and duties also on mans he doth not take hold of the Covenant that takes one part and leaves another Fourthly To beleeve what God promised in the Covenant for his part and to promise in a private way the duties of obedience on mans part was not sufficient to make these strangers members of the Church but they must doe it openly and in the view of the Church else the Church could have had no warrant to have admitted such into their Fellowship if their faith and obedience had not been visibly professed Exod. 12. 43. 48 2 Chron. 23. 19. And in as much as the Covenant was mutuall when these strangers did manifest their taking hold of the Covenant they manifested and professed both Faith and obedience

hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the p●ople of the Lord thy God This Scripture plainly shewes these things 1. That here was the making of a Covenant between God and man for that avouching of God to them and them to God was the making of Covenant ver. 17. 18. 2. This was not of one person but of a company together the whole people of Israel 26. 18. 27. 9. 3 Here is the effect of this Covenant that thereby they become the Lords people ver. 9. So that when a company doe enter into holy Covenant with God they become thereby the Lords people that is to say his Church So Ezech. 16. 8. proves the same likewise I ent●ed into Covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou becam●st mine Here also is the making of Covenant between the Lord and men and this Covenant was not personall but of a company for it was with Hierusalem ver. 2. which was a whole Citie it was with them that were multiplied as the bud of the seild ver. 7. and it was with them that did prosper into a kingdome ver. 13. and therefore not meant onely of any one particular person And by this Covenant they became the Lords that is the Lords Church and people for it is expresly said I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine So that when a company enter into Covenant with God and God with them they become thereby the Lords Church and people Likewise Ezek. 20. 37. I will cause you to passe under the rod and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant In which place there is first mention of an holy Covenant Secondly This was not of one person but of a company the whole house of Israel ver. 30. 39. Thirdly And this Covenant is called a Bond because it is by Covenant that a people are bound and tyed and knit together as one Chu●ch all of them unto the Lord and one unto another So that the Covenant is the bond of union by which a company are so combined and united as that they become a Church It is also obs●rvable how the Lord before he would bring them into this bond of the Covenant he would cause them to passe under the rod by which phrase as Iunius upon the place well observes is meant tryall and probation drawne from the manner of Shepheards or owners of Cattell who went among their sheepe or other cattell with a rod and therewith pointed out such as were for the Lords holy use as Lev. 27. 32. And so hereby is noted that God would not ●n the dayes of the Gospel have men to be brought into his Church hand over head but he would first cause them to passe under the rod of due tryall and probation and then such as upon tryall were found to be holy for God or meete matter for his Church should solemnly enter into Covenant with God and that Covenant should be the bond that should combine them and knit them together into one that so they that were many particular persons should all become one body that is to say a Church And so much of the first Argument drawne from plaine Texts of Scripture A second Argument may be taken from the Titles that are given to the Church as first that the Church is said to be married or espoused unto Christ Ier. 2. 2. 3. 14. 2 Cor. 11. 2. From whence the Argument may be formed thus If every Church becomes a Church by being married or espoused unto Christ then a company becomes a Church by way of Covenant But the former is true therefore the latter 〈◊〉 true also The Assumption that a Church becomes a Church by being married unto Christ is plai●e from the former Scriptures where the ●hurc● of Israel and the Church of Corinth in regard of their e●tring into Church Estate are said to be espoused and married unto Christ as a loving and chast Virgine to one husband Which spirituall marriage between Christ and his Church is also taught in the type of the marriage between King Salomon and Pharoahs daughter Psal. 45. The Consequence of the Proposition is plaine in reason for there is no marriage but by way of Covenant no woman becomes a mans wife but by way of bestowing her selfe in Covenant upon such a man neither doth a man become an husband but by the same means and therefore the Scripture speaking of the violation of marriage calls it a violation of Covenant Prov. 2. 17. Christ hath but one wife or Spouse Cant. 6 9. The Catholique Church indeed is but one viz the whole company of Gods Elect in heaven in earth dead now living and not yet borne But as there is the Church-Catholique which is but one so there are particular and visible Churches which are in number many and therefore the Scripture speakes of Churches 2 Cor. 8. 1. 19. Gal. 1. 2. Of the Churches of the Gentiles Rom. 16. 4. Of seven Churches Rev. 1. 4. Of all Churches 1 Cor. 14 33. 7. 17. Rev. 2. 23. But if every particular Church be the wife of Christ how many hundred wives should he have 1. If the Church of Israel Ier. 2. 2. the Church of Corinth 2 Cor. 11. 2. The Jewish Church Rev. 19. 7. be the Spouse and wife of Christ there is no reason but others should be the same also especially seeing there is no particular Church but in respect of their Church estate they may decline and goe a whoring from Christ and that shews that they were first espoused to him for no woman can be said to got a whoring from a man if shee were never married nor espoused to him at all 2. This that seemes an absurditie and were a sinfull practise among men in respect of Christ is a certaine truth and no dishonour unto him at all to have more Spouses then one upon earth many spirituall Spouses Men cannot give themselves wholly and intirely to many as Christ can Every faithfull soule is espoused and married unto Christ and in that respect he hath not onely many hundred but many thousand yea many millions of spirituall Spouses But this spirituall marriage is between Christ and the Church But the Church Covenant is between the Church and the members and therefore this marriage doth not prove the Church-Covenant 1. In some sort there may be said to be a marriage between the Church and the members viz. in respect of that deare love and affection that ought to be between them and therefore it is said As a young man marrieth a Virgine so shall the children of the Church be married to the Church Isa. 62. 5. 2. But properly the marriage is between Christ the Church and so is the Covenant also so farre as therein they give up themselv●s to Christ as unto an head and Lord as a woman in the Covenant of m●rriage doth give up