Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	drink_v	eat_v	supper_n	10,350	5	9.1429	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80730	Two sermons preached at Christ-Church in the city of Dublin, before the honourable the General Convenion of Ireland. The first on Prov.11.14 at the first meeting of the said convention, March 2. 1659. The second on Jude v.19. at a publique fast appointed by the said convention, March 9. 1659. By Sem Coxe, Minister of the gospel and pastor at St. Katherines in Dublin.	Coxe, Sem.; Ireland. Parliament.	1660 (1660)	Wing C6726; Thomason E1026_21; ESTC R208752	50,638	72

in a great errour in that point And they that practise this kind of separation do fail grossly in two things 1 They are an hinderance to the conversion of sinners as our Lord sheweth in the scripture now mentioned if he had not conversed with them a● well as preached publiquely unto them they had never been converted and brought home to God 2 They harden sinners against religion and the professors of it by this means too much austerity in this kind driveth men into a dislike of piety and holiness who might be won by a more gentle and meek demeanour toward them Hence it is that the Apostle Paul giveth that grave advice to Timothy 1 Tim. 2. 24-26 The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will By what hath been said we see that it is sinfull Separation for a man to refuse necessary company with those who are unregenerate that it is a great fault and much to be condemned And therefore the Apostle giveth a notable caveat concerning it 1 Cor. 5. 9-11 I wrote saith he unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world c. But now I have written unto you for the explanation of my meaning wherein I was not rightly understood not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such an one no not to eat Where he plainly teacheth That we ought to estrange our selves more from such as have made a profession and afterward do fall into soul offences than from such as never did yet come up to such an holy profession of the gospel This is the first branch of sinfull Separation II. Those also are guilty in this kind that forsake family society upon this pretence that their relations are unconverted And I the rather mention this because it is a great fault of some persons in these our days aswell as in former times Against this practise it is that the Apostle speaketh expresly 1 Cor. 7. 10-15 Let not the wife depart or separate from her husband c. This kind of separation is in it self a great sin and doth occasion manifold mischiefs and inconveniences III. They also are to be accounted very faulty in this matter and have justly deserved the name of Separatists who separate themselves from the solemn Assemblies and Ordinances of Christ and particularly from that great sealing Ordinance of the Lords supper because there are some that communicate with them whom they judg to be unworthy communicants and graceless men Before I speak to this point I must lay down and constantly affirm these two received and well grounded truths lest I should be misunderstood in what I am to say 1 I say That persons grosly ignorant or notoriously ungodly and prophane are not fit to receive the Lords Supper these are not able to discern the Lords body but eat and drink unworthily and so are guilty of the body and bloud-of the Lord as the Apostle informeth us 1 Gor. 11. 27. 29. Such persons eat and drink their own damnation 2 I affirm That it is the duty of the Officers of the Church to exclude from the Lords Supper all such as shall appear unto them to be unduly qualified for the receiving of that Ordinance and in particular this belongeth to the Minister to put a difference between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean and accordingly to admit or exclude from ordinances They were the Priests that thrust Uzziah out of the temple when the leprosie appeared upon him 2. Chr. 26. 19. 20. From these two undoubted truths which we profess and fear not to practise it is apparent that we allow not promiscuous or mixt communion but that it is a false report and slander that the devil and the sectaries have cast upon us to advance their own interest thereby And if it were lawful to boast we may say that our Ordinances are kept as pure from mixt communion as theirs are blessed be God Yet though all this be true it must be constantly received and maintained as a great truth That private Christians may not therefore separate themselves from the Church or decline any of Christs Ordinances because they see some persons admitted to participate with them in those Ordinances whom themselves look upon as ungodly men and That it is a foul fault thus to separate There were great disorders in the Church of Corinth in those persons who came unto the Table of the Lord 1. Cor. 11. 21 22. one came to it hungry and another drunken greater miscarriages then are to be found amongst our communicants when they come to the Sacrament and the Apostle chideth them sharply about those things What saith he have ye not houses to eat and to drink in or despise ye the Church of God and shame them that have not What shall I say to you shall I praise you in this I praise you not Their disorder called aloud for reformation and the Apostle took a great deal of pains to reform it by reducing them to the first institution But you find not that he gives any commandment or allowance to any of the members of that Church to withdraw themselves and separate from communion in that Ordinance with the Church No he commends them for this that they who were godly did not separate but came still together into one place Verse 20 and he sharply reproveth their schisms and divisions Chap. 3. 3. And there is great reason why Christians should be very cautious in this case For 1 Such persons who may by a private Christian or Christians be judged to be unworthy to participate in that Ordinance may yet be worthy and so accounted of in the judgment of those that are Officers of the Church whose judgment is to be preferred before any private opinion of the best men It may be said of a private Christian in this case as the Hebrew said to Moses Acts 7. 27. Who made thee a ruler and a judg 2 Though the persons be indeed unworthy yet their unworthiness may be unknown unto the Officers of the Church And it is the duty of private Christians to make known such offenders to those that are over them in the Lord that so their reformation may be endeavoured and not therefore to decline and separate from the Ordinances This is the standing rule Dic ecclesiae Mat. 18. 17. He saith not If thou be offended fall off from the Church but acquaint the Church that so the scandal in thy way may be removed 3 Those that rule in the Church may suspect that such or such

Of this the wise man admonisheth Eccl. 3. 1. That to every thing there is a season und a time to every purpose under the sun And verse 11. Every thing is beautiful in its time To time a business aright is the excellencie of wisdom Upon the wisdom or the mistakes in counsels there doth usually follow answerable events Wherefore when the Lord intendeth to destroy a People he doth usually in the first place infatuate their counsels according to that of the Prophet Isa 44. 25. He frustrateth the tokens of the lyers and maketh diviners mad he turneth wise men backward and maketh their knowledg foolish And hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 20. You see then what an extraordinary measure of knowledg you had need to have to capacitate you for this great buisiness Daniel was judged meet to be called unto the Kings Council because the spirit of the holy God was in him even an excellent spirit in knowledg and understanding and wisdom Dan. 5. 11 12. III. Ye ought to be men of publique spirits and must be such if ever ye intend to be a protection and safety to the people Private self-seeking men are not fit to be employed in publique counsels When God called Solomon to bear the Kingly Office in Israel it is said 1 King 4. 29. That he gave him largeness of heart even as the sand that is on the sea shore he was not of a straitned self interested temper I crave leave to enlarge my self in a few particulars 1 Ye must resolve to serve your Country though ye cannot profit your selves at all thereby but should rather waste your own outward estates Nehemiah for twelve years together did not eat the bread of the Governor when the people were in distress as the former Governors had done Neh. 5. 14 15. An excellent pattern Covetousness pursuing after a private profit in publique matters may well be called pestis Reipublicae this is a special thing to be avoided by them that are to judg others Deut. 18. 21. they must hate covetousness 2 A publique spirit will not suffer injuries of any sort to be put upon the people he beareth with and putteth up private in juries with patience but that wrong that is offered to the publique goeth to his heart he cannot brook it It was a noble virtue and a publique spirit in Saul that when a private despite was done unto himself yet he did hold his peace and was silent 1 Sam. 10. 27. But when he heard of the wrong done to his Subjects the men of Jabesh-Gilead by Nahash the Ammonite the Text saith that the spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard these tidings and his anger was kindled greatly 1 Sam. 11. 6. and he rested not till he had relieved them 3 A publique spirit is more sensible of the peoples sufferings and afflictions then of any private mercies that concern himself onely See this in good Nehemiah although he was in high honour cup-bearer to a great King yet he minded not that but his countenance was sad and his heart full of sorrow when he heard of the great affliction and reproach that was befallen his country-men Why should not my countenance be sad saith he Neh. 2. 2 3. when the city the place of my fathers sepulchres lyeth waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire So also Uriah denieth his own private content upon a publique account 2 Sam. 11. 11. The Ark and Israel and Judah abide in Tents and my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord are encamped in the open fields shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink and to ly with my wife as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth I will not do this thing 4 A publique spirit will not stick at his own private danger though it be apparant but will venture his own person to the greatest hazzard so that he may further the publique interest He will use his sword aswell as his tongue if necessity require it David did fight the Lords battels 1 Sam. 10 17. When religion is in danger he will not spare himself but venture life and limb to uphold it Excellent was the resolution of Queen Esther in this case Chap. 4. 16. I will go in unto the King which is not according to the Law and if I perish I perish He knoweth that he is not born for himself but for his country also and can willingly dye in the service thereof He can say as that reverend Bishop did Moriar ego modo me moriente vigeat Ecclesiae 5 He that hath a publique spirit desireth rather to be useful in his generation then to be great When the Lord puts Solomon to his choise what he would have 1 King 3. 5. He beggeth nothing but a publique spirit Verse 9. Give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and bad for who is able to judge this thy so great a people He asketh not honour and grandure in the world but that he might be useful to the people of God over whom he was placed 6 I will adde but one thing more A man that hath the publique upon his heart will lay aside all private animosities put up all private wrongs and differences rather then endanger the publique peace and settlement of the people When there was some private difference between Abraham and Lot occasioned by their herdmen whence the Canaanite and Perizzite who dwelt in the land might have taken an opportunity to have done hurt to both of them we find that Abraham passeth over that difference and would take no notice of it to the publique disadvantage Gen. 13. 7. 8. 9. Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my herdmen and thy herdmen for we be brethren Is not the whole land before thee seperate I pray thee thy self from me if thou wilt take the left hand then I will go to she right or if thou depart to the right hand then I will go to the left If the mariners fall out the ship must needs be in jeopardy If private grudges be in the heart the publique concernments are like to suffer I have the rather pressed this duty of publique spiritedness upon you worthy Patriots because you know as well as I that private interest and self seeking in publique affairs have for a long time by past destroyed all our national counsells and consultations IIII Ye ought to be of settled and well resolved spirits and full of courage for God and your country To this end ye have your swords girt How shall ye be able to persevere in seeking the good of Gods house or of the Nation if ye be not resolved and grounded in your Religion and in the Laws of the Land And especially is it requisite at this time that ye be full of immoveable resolution because there is such a

twelve And Luk. 22. 14. And when the hour was come he sare down c. He would not fail in the very time of this Ordinance though a whole Church digressed from it Though Christians are bound to hold communion with the Church in which they live so far as they walk up to the rule yet in any pollution that is in that Church they need not nor ought to be partakers and such a frame of spirit doth well become every Christian This therefore justifieth the practise of such as flie from the errours that are in the Church not daring to meddle with any impositions which are not of the Lords appointment therein though they may not nor dare separate from her VII Lastly After due admonition given to scandalous sinners who live in the Church if the admonition be rejected and the sinners prove obstinate the Church must separate them and cast them out from her communion This lesson our Lord Jesus teacheth Mat. 18. 15-17 If thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican In which Text our Saviour doth not teach a Non-communion as some call it viz. that when we see Church members to offend and there is in the Church no help to be found for the redress thereof we must therefore decline communion with that Church immediately but he teacheth an Excommunion viz. that such as offend are to be cast out of that Church in case they do not reform upon admonition seasonably and frequently given according to that in Tit. 3. 10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject cast him off separate him from your communion This Separation is approvable Thus far you see we may and must be Separatists the Holy Ghost enjoyneth it we sin if we be not so and they that cast a reproach upon any man for this kind of Separation are in a great fault and it will be sin unto them And the Apostle in the 2 Cor. Chan. 6. giveth five reasons to persuade to such a Separation as this when he commandeth to come out from sinners and to be separate 1 Because there can be no agreement between the people of God and such sins and sinners This he proveth and confirmeth by propounding five Questions Verse 14 15 16. The first is What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness The second What communion hath light with darkness The third What concord hath Christ with Belial The fourth What part hath he that believeth with an infidel The fifth What agreement hath the Temple of God with idols As if he should have said These things are diametrally contrary the one to the other they are separated asunder and so must ye be separated from sin and sinners 2 Because the people of God are the house or Temple of God ver 16. For ye are the temple of God And it is unmeet that the temple of God should be defiled by having any society with sin and sinners therefore be ye separate 3 Because God dwelleth in this temple ibid. As God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them And it is treachery yea high treason to lodg any rebels within or near the habitation of this great King therefore separate 4 Because this God who dwelleth in this temple is the living God ibid. Ye are the temple of the living God so as he taketh notice of our behaviour and his spirit is grieved at this as a great miscarriage if we hold any communion with such and therefore we must separate from them 5 Because the people of God are an holy covenant engaged people God is their God and they are his people ibid. I will be their God and they shall be my people According to that which is written Deut. ●6 17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes and his commandments and judgments and to hearken unto his voice And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people And therefore the people of God ought warily to avoid and separate from such things or persons as may endanger a breach of that love and amity that is between God and them Observe then that I speak not against all kind of Separation there is a Separation that is lawfull holy and strictly enjoyned us in the word of God Second Yet there is an unholy unlawful Separation an ungodly Separatist condemned in the unerring word of God You see that the Apostle Jude condemneth these false Teachers of whom he speaketh in this Epistle for their Separation amongst other vices that they were guilty of and sets a black mark of infamy upon them These be they saith he mark observe them well follow them not who separate themselves Let us therefore make enquiry by the written word of God who these Separatists are that we may know them and avoid them And I shall demonstrate that in six particulars I. Such may justly be challenged as guilty of sinfull Separation who deline as unlawfull all necessary society with them whom they conceive to be unregenerate so as they will not eat or drink or converse with them at all Such were the Pharisees of whom mention is frequently made in the New Testament and they were called Pharisees from the Hebrew Pharash separavit For though that word be metaphorically expounded to declare or to interprete yet properly it signifieth to divide or separate as the learned observe and so the Greeks used to call the Pharisees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Separatists to this Epiphanius agreeth Dicebantur Pharisaei eò quòd separati essent ab aliis propter spontaneam superfluam religionem apud ipsos receptam Now one main point of their religion lay in this thing That they refused to eat or drink or come into the company of any whom they looked upon as sinners and blamed all those that followed not their example in this matter as you find in that speech of theirs to the Disciples Mat. 9. 11. Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners But our Lord Jesus refused not to converse with them upon just occasion as appeareth by his defense in the twelfth and thirteenth verses But when Jesus heard that he said unto them They that be whole need not a Physician but they that are sick But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance By which answer our Lord Jesus Christ doth fully declare unto us that the Pharisees were