Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	see_v	word_n	12,054	5	3.9522	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A55491	The character of a formall professor in religion preached in two sermons at St. Chads Church in Salop, Jan. 11, 1661, on 2 Tim. 3, 5 / by Tho. Porter ...	Porter, Thomas, d. 1667.	1661 (1661)	Wing P2989; ESTC R12187	26,346	43

I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but could not find him and then in Religious conference with fellow-Christians v. 2. I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad waies I will seek him whom my Soul loveth O well a day I sought him but found him not And then in the Ministy of the Word v. 3. I said to the Watchmen Saw ye him whom my Soul loveth The Communion without Christ is but a sorry Communion to a gracious heart Lord saith one of the Ancients Thou hast made our heart for thee and it is restless till it come to enjoy thee 5. He Stints himself in Religion so far he will go and not a jot further As Psal 78. 41. they limited the Holy One of Israel So do they that have but a Form of godliness limit themselves in the profession of holiness As Henry the Fourth of France would put to Sea but no further then he could see the shore that if a storm came he might put in to the shore again So much Knowledge Faith Love and Repentance c. they would have and neither care for nor desire more whereas a true Christian aims at and endeavours after the highest pitch of grace and holiness 2 Cor. 7. 1. PERFECTING holiness in the fear of God Phil. 3. 12. I follow after The word is I persecute I follow hoatefoot with utmost earnestness as an Army pursues a routed and flying Enemy or as an Hunts-man doth the game so did Paul eagerly and uncessantly pursue after a greater measure of the knowledge of Jesus Christ having it as it were in Chase and resolving not to rest till he had attained it v. 13. Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forth to those things that are before A clear Metaphor from Runners in a race who strain and stretch out head hands and whole body to reach the mark with all their might This word saith One hath a great Emphasis for it signifies to stretch out the hand to the mark and therewith to touch it before the feet can reach it That is a fine phrase used twice Tit. 3. 8 14. to maintain i. e. careful to exceed and excel others as Overseers of great works who are most eminent in skil and knowledge or as Professors of some Art and Science Any pittance will serve a Formalist but a true Christian strives to the highest pitch of goodness This is excellently held forth in Heb. 12. 1. Let us lay aside every weight Any heavy thing is a hindrance to him that runs a race Such is an opinion or perswasion wherewith the heart is swollen of perfection already attained which indeed is not yet attained Nothing doth more hinder progress then an arrogant and proud conceit that have we have already reached the prize and mark Therefore Quakers that Diabolical Sect and others have but a Form of godliness at best and that is all if some have so much 6. He Storms at godliness in others He cannot abide the power of godliness in others but his heart riseth up at least in a secret Antipathy against it While Paul was a formal Pharisee he persecuted this way to the death See his own confession Acts 22. 3 4. Gal. 1. 13 14. I persecuted said he the Church of God where note by the way that the Church is to be taken in a larger sense then for one particular Congregation meeting together ordinarily for participation of Gods Ordinances and that they who are more zealous for unwarrantable Traditions and the form of godliness are most furious against the power of it If the fire of grace break out in any house how many are ready to bring their bucket to quench it Now as 1 John 4. 20. He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen So he that cannot indure the power of godliness in a wife child servant neighbour c. how can he imagine that he hath it in himself 7. He Speaks bitterly against others for smaller faults and neglects greater in his own heart and life and that without any regret or remorse He beholds a mote in his brothers eye and considers not the beam in his own eye He strains at a gnat and swallows a camel It is said of Arch Bishop Bancroft that he fell foul on Mr. Paul Bayne a man eminent in Learning and Piety for a little black edging on his cuffs threatning to lay him by the heels for it when he winked at greater faults in himself and others Thus it is with formal Professors that make mountains of other mens mole-hils and make mole-hils of their own mountains 8. He succours and harbours in his bosom some sweet sin secretly at least The outside is fair but the inside is foul as was said compared therefore to whited Tombs Matth. 23. 27 28. which indeed appear beautiful outward but are indeed full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness So do these also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within are full of iniquity Psal 5. 9. their inward part is very wickedness in the abstract See a rowsing Scripture Job 20. 12 13. Wickedness is sweet in his mouth he hides it under his tongue he spares it not he forsakes it not but keeps it still within his mouth Where a beloved sin unrepented of is compared to a piece of Sugar-candy that is rouled in the mouth and under the Tongue which the man by no means will spit out He allows himself in some known sin either closely in his heart as lust pride vain-glory c. he cannot abide that little large word all Ezek. 18. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions or openly Herod will have his Herodias How many among us have a shew of Religion and yet make no bones of Lying Sabbath-breaking and the like of whom we may say as old Isacc said of Jacob counterfeiting in his garb his eldest brother Their voice is the voice of Jacob but their hands are the hands of Esau Thus of the first Use of Instruction concerning all to try and examine our selves whither we have a Form of Godliness but deny the power thereof Now secondly It teacheth you that are jealous that you have but a Form content not your selves with it labour for the power of it Oh do not lay out your money for counters instead of Gold Oh do not with Ixion imbrace a cloud instead of Juno Be not like those Lorraine Witches deluded by the Devil who received withered Leaves in stead of pieces of gold having a mist cast before their eyes by Satan that old Juggler Oh sit not down on this side the power of godliness There is a Tale of Aquinas who praying to or before a Crucifix it asked him what he would have He answered Nothing Lord but thee O Christ crucified now speaks to thee in his Ministry

asking what thou wouldest have Oh poor sinner return this answer Not the Form only but the power of godliness also As Luther protested God should not put him off with any thing on this side himself So let it be thy Resolution not to be put off with any thing on this side the power of godliness To quicken you hereunto consider these Motives 1. The Disesteem your meer shews have with God as Psal 73. 20. When thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image All the pomp and glory of the World is but as an Image or fancy in a dream When the Lord awakes to Judgment he will contemn the bravery of the World So he will despise and disrespect thy Form of Godliness Is 1. 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices to me said God to the formal Jews I delight not in the blood of Bulls or of Lambs or of he-Goats v. 12. When ye come to appear before me who required this at your hands to tread my Courts when yet he himself required it v. 13. Bring no more vain oblations to me incense is an abomination to me the New-moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn meeting and yet these things were expresly prescribed them by the Lord. But now for sincere hearts Psal 102. 17. He will regad the prayer of the destitute of poor shrubs as the word signifies he will not despise their prayer whose hearts are honest though never so weak for Psal 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Mark a broken heart is not a Sacrifie only but Sacrifices i. e. instead of all Sacrifices and that of God i. e. not only of Gods appointment but approbation and acceptance also Therefore he saith Is 66. 2. To this man will I look q. d. He that made heaven and earth seems to overlook all other things and persons and casts a loving look on him that is poor that hath the power of Godliness 2. The Dammage you will sustain Luke 8. 18. from him shall be taken that which he seemeth to have a counterfeit complexion will not last long That is a strange word 2 John 8. Take heed you lose not those things ye have wrought If thou hast but a Form of godliness thou art in danger to lose all thy praings hearings fastings receivings of the Lords Supper c. All the Prayers thou hast said all the Sermons thou hast heard all the Chapters thou hast read all the Fasts thou hast kept all the Sacraments thou hast received c. And what an unutterable and intolerable loss will this be I may say and allude to Psal 39. 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew so most men live in a vain form of Religion or I may say on better grounds and I hope with a better heart Matth. 26. 8. To what purpose is all this waste The Swan was in the Law rejected for Sacrifice because it had a black skin under white feathers 3. The Damnation you are obnoxious unto Luke 20. 47. Who for a shew make long Prayers the same shall receive greater damnation with Matth. 23. 14. for a pretence make long Prayer therefore ye shall receive greater damnation Observe by the way long Prayers are not condemned as simply unlawful in themselves for Solomon made a long Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple and so did they in a solemn day of humiliation spending the fourth part of the day in confession and supplication c. and our Saviour Christ himself continued all night in Prayer to God Luke 6. 12. but great Devotion was pretended when grievous Destruction was intended when they did colour their foul sins with fair shews the strength of their iniquities with the length of Prayer These formal Pharisees did palliate their covetousness and cruelty with seeming Piety devouring whole houses there was their covetousness and of widdows which could not relieve themselves there is their cruelty All which was the worse in endeavouring to make the holy and pure God the Author or at least fautour of their impiety Such mens condemnation shall be greater for dissembled Sanctity is double Iniquity I shall now propound to you some Directions 1. Give credit to the Doctrine delivered and that meer profession will not bring a Soul to Salvation Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven yea though he prayes with a seeming zeal as the doubling of the word Lord Lord seems to import Judas gave a kiss to Christ yet is gone to his own place i. e. to Hell Acts 1. 25. For I do not think that the clause of that vers is to be referred to Matthias as some would have it for then the words foregoing must be put in a Parenthesis which is uncouch and that by place is understood his Province office or Ministry suits not with the stream of Expositors nor with the language of the Scripture elsewhere and Scripture must expound Scripture A kiss then of Profession may be attended with damnation in Hell None are kept out of Heaven for lamented badness but for supposed goodness A Ship ca'ld the Safeguard or Good-speed have been shipwrackt This Historical Faith hath been the beginning of conversion to some as the needle for the thread 2. Get Christ and union with him Let him be formed in thy heart Gal. 4. 15. Be in Christ and be a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. See Ephes 2. 12. To be without Christ is the Van and to be without God is the Rear of all Misery There may be saith Austin a visible form of a branch without the Vine but it cannot have the life of the invisible root except it be in the Vine 3. Go to the publick Ministry of the Word wear the threshold of the Sanctuary wait on God in that Ordinance As Christ said to his Disciples Luke 24. 49. Tarry ye in Jerusalem until ye be indued with power from on high indued or cloathed this word answers that Hebrew word in Judg. 6. 34. which the Septuagint translate cloathed At Jerusalem the Gospel began to be preached v. 47. according to that Gospel-Prophet Is c. 2. 3. Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Therefore say I miss not a Sermon Without the power of Religion the poor Soul is in a naked condition and here is the Wardrop whence this cloathing may be had Grieve and groan that thou hast lived so long in a Form of Devotion without the power and pray as well as thou canst for the Spirit of power 2 Tim. 1. 7. We cannot pray without the Spirit and yet we are allowed to pray for the Spirit and God hath promised to give the Spirit to them that pray Luke 11. 13. Much more shall the Heavenly Father give