Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	apostle_n	bishop_n	deacon_n	3,197	5	10.6688	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26928	Faithful souls shall be with Christ the certainty proved and their Christianity described, and exemplified in the truely Christian life and death of that excellent saint, Henry Ashhurst, Esq ... : briefly and truly published for the conviction of hypocrites and the malignant, the strengthning of believers, and the imitation of all, especially the masters of families in London / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1681 (1681)	Wing B1265; ESTC R4853	35,484	74

that made the world or our own or others Souls and it is not our right to determine of their time and events It is one prime Agent Supreme Ruler and Ultimate End One that is Infinite in Power Wisdom and Goodness who is Omnipresent Immutable and every way perfect that must actuate order and bless a world of such imperfect and differing individuals and not such ignorant understandings such partial and ill guided wills and such impotent powers as ours are He that maketh the Watch determineth how many hours it shall go The giver of Life and Time must give us the measures of it It is our part to spend it well It is because the Creator having left us to some liberty and trust about our selves we are the misusers of it that there are so many disorders and consequently calamities in the world and on our selves and ours as there are and if the God of Love did not keep the over ruling determination in his hand and bring good out of all our evil and harmony out of our discords and confusions what a Chaos or Hell would the World become Let us therefore humbly and willingly leave Gods own work to himself he will do all well and at last we shall understand it and let us mind our own He hath taken up our Brothers soul from earth it is our part to think how to improve this our own are following Our hour is at hand Our oyl is wasting apace Our glass is almost run every pulse every breath every word leaveth us one less of the number appointed us It is our great concern to look inwards and look upwards and with our utmost diligence to study how to spend the short time that remaineth that we may die in safety peace and hope and follow the departed Saints to Glory To instruct my self and you herein I have chosen this Text as giving us both sure directions and such great and comfortable promises as in life and at death we may boldy trust They are spoken by no doubtful Messenger but by the Mouth of Christ himself and that to men who were under our temptations and earnestly desired to see Christ glorified on earth and to partake of outward greatness here to see that famous man who had wrought so many miracles and lately raised the Dead But he tells them that both he and they must die before they can be glorified and that they must overcome the inordinate love of this life if ever they would attain a life of Blessedness vers 23 24 25. And that they might not by uncertainty of the end or way say as Philip We know not whither thou goest and how shall we know the way he Summarily tells them both The way is to Serve him and follow him The end that 's promised is To be where he is and to be honoured of his Father As if he should say I know that your weakness and remaining Carnality is such that you would fain see me Reign as an universal King on Earth that you might be advanced by me in the flesh and it is a hard Lesson to you to learn to lay down this life which is so dear to you and to pass into a World which you never saw and know so little of But have I not by my Doctrine Life and frequent Miracles and newly by raising Lazarus from the dead convinced you that I am the true Messiah sent of God to whom you may boldly trust the conduct and disposal of your Lives and Souls If so then see that you absolutely trust me Learn of me Serve me and follow me and let this satisfie you living and dying that you shall speed as I my self do and be with me where I am though the place and state be yet unseen to you and there you shall by my Father be advanced to far greater dignity and honour than in this sinful life and world you are capable of And of all this I give here my promise which you must believe and trust if you will be saved by me This is the plain Exposition of the Text But let us more distinctly inquire I. What is here meant by Serving Christ II. What it is to Follow him And afterwards III. What it is to be where he is IV. And what to be Honoured by his Father I. Some that by false and narrow notions have received a wrong opinion of Saving Faith may be puzzled at this that Serving Christ and following him are made the necessary terms or conditions of being where he is And some say that Iustifying faith and ●●●ing Faith are two different things And some say that Christ himself did not clearly preach the doctrine of Justification by Faith but left it for Saint Paul But the plain truth is that in the Gospel it is all one To be a Believer a Christian and a Disciple of Christ in Covenant with him as the true Messiah And in those times the Disciples of any great and famous Teachers were taken into their Families and were their Servants Not in a Worldly common work but in order to the ends of their Office and Instructions It is the same word which we often translate Deacons And as it was then usual with Iews and Heathens at their great feasts for the Servitours to give every Guest his part by the appointment of the ruler of the Feast so the Spirit by the Apostles did institute Church Deacons to be servants to distribute the provisions made at their love Feasts and the proportions allowed for each ones relief to look to the poor and to execute such Church Orders as the present Bishop or Elders did appoint By which you may see how big the Bishops Church then was And so Christ calleth all Christians his Deacons Ministers or Servants and some above others peculiarly in office as those that were to serve him as the Saviour of the World for their own and other mens salvation As his Relation to us partaketh by Analogie of many so is our service to him It is as the service of a Scholar in obedient and diligent humble learning As the obedience of a Patient to his Physician As the obedience of a Beggar in asking and thankfully accepting As the obedience of a Malefactor who thankfully taketh a pardon and if a Rebel promiseth to lay down Armes and live in true subjection to his Prince As the service of a Child that liveth dependently in dutiful gratitude and love It is not to give Christ any thing that he needeth but to be readier to Hear him than to offer him the sacrifice of fools who by thinking to oblige him by their gifts do but offend him The matter of our required service is 1. To confess with grief our sin our misery and our need of him his grace and mercy 2. To learn understand and believe his Word 3. There by to know God from whom we were revolted and to return to him in the hand of our Mediator by absolute resignation devotion