Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	profess_v	true_a	12,018	5	5.7013	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74782	A sure stay for a sinking state, presented in a sermon preached at Margarets Westminster before the Honourable House of Commons at their solemne fast, Nov. 24. 1647. / By Richard Kentish, preacher of the Gospel at Katharines, near the Tower London.	Kentish, Richard, Rev.	1648 (1648)	Wing K320; Thomason E416_30; ESTC R204500	24,581	40

works In the latter of these the minatory pa●t there are three arguments they are pressed with which are taken 1. From Christs coming or else I will come unto thee or against thee Adversamte Biza Piscat 2. From the time of his coming quickly 3. From the end of his coming and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Now before we come to handle these particulars there is something arising from the text in generall not to be altogether passed by without observing These people of Ephesus were much degenerated they did once shew more love to God to Christ to Gospel then now they do therfore Christ might now have come in judgement without an● more adoe he might have put out their light removed their Candlestick and never have spake of it till he had done it and who could have said why hast thou done so but you see Christ takes not so severe a course but comes first and gives them fair warning where note That Christ doth not use to surprise men at unawares he doth admonish before he chastise warn before he smite summon farly before he storm furiously discharge warning peeces before he give fire to his murdering peeces Thus the Lord dealt with the old world an end of all flesh was like to come because the earth was filled with violence but first Noah must be warned Heb. 11.7 Noah being warned of God Now God having warned him he warns the world by building the ark every sound of the saw every chop with the axe every stroke with the hammer about the building was as a watch-word to the people Thus the Lord dealt wilt Nineveh Before destruction come Jonah must goe and preach though he have little minde to it yet fourty daies and Nineveh shall be destroyed Jon. 3.4 Reas Now the Reason that we shall take notice of why God useth to warn before he smite is that men might be reformed and not be smitten for though the Lord loath sin yet is he loth to destroy the sinner Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked where we have not only Gods word for it but if that will not serve we have his oath too which makes it manifest that he had rather men should reverter● return then that he should evertere overturn For application of this point briefly Vse 1 First Behold here the goodnesse and patience of God Goodnesse he is loath to strike though we give him provocations too many Patience that though he be resolved his spirit shall not alwaies strive yet he will give fair warning before he strike Bu●inger in les Oh Let 's consider Quàm suavis sit Dominus quàm placidè suos ad cognitionem peccati rev●cet how sweet is the Lord how gently doth he deal with poor sinners to bring them to the knowledge of their sin Vse 2 Let us take Gods warning that he may have no occasion to strike we cannot but say we have been warned and though God have been patient towards us hitherto yet we may be consumed at last for if we make God wait too long we shall finde him very angry Peri●●●ti● laesa fit sur●● If destruction should come where should we look for comfort God will be cleer when he judgeth Psal 51.4 If we shall think to say why are we thus absque reprehensione vel accusatione Molle● in loc God will answer us as Reuben did his brethren Gen. 12.22 Spake I not unto you saying do not sinne against the child and ye would not hear So may the Lord say spake I not unto you did not I tell you of this long since but you would not hear me you would not be warned by me my messengers that I sent to you seemed to be but as those that mocked that will be but cold comfort in a day of affliction Oh therfore let us take Gods warning But to proceed to the particulars in the text 1. For the Monitory part And first of the first particular in the Monitory part which is the sight and remembrance of their sin 1. Particular Remember from whence thou art fallen These words are spoken to the Ephesians who were a company of people professing religion a famous Church in the Apostle Pauls daie● but now they had left their first love and therfore are advised to Remember from whence they are fallen Two observations arise hence First That a people professing religion may fall Secondly That fallen professours should Remember from whence they are fallen Doct. 1 For the first That a people professing religion may fall This the text intimates to us else the admonition would be to little purpose In the prosecution of this point I shall endeavour to say something to these two questions 1. How far may a people professing religion fall 2. What may be the ground or reason of their falling Quest 1 How far may professours fall That the answer to this may be the clearer Ans We must distinguish 1. of professours 2. of falling 1. Professours may be considered 1. Sigillatim singly 2. Conjunctim conjoynedly First Sigillatim singly for particular persons professing religion and these are of two sorts 1. Such as have not only a form but also the power of godlinesse such as have not only lamps but also oil with their lamps sincere-hearted professours true Nathaneels in whom there is no guile Such were the Saints of God of old as David Josias Peter and Paul 2. Such as have a form only no power of godlinesse such as have làmps only but no oil hypocrites that are not what they seem to be such a Iudas Hymenaeus and Alexander spoken of 1. Tim. 1.20 Secondly Consider Professours Conjunctim conjoynedly many of them being joyned together and these may be considered first nationally secondly congregationally First Nationally when a nation or the generality of a nation are a people professing religion such were the Iews of old and England and Scotland now Secondly Congregationally when a company of professours are congregated into a particular visible Church as the Corinthians Galatians and these Ephesians in the text This is the first distinction Secondly We must distinguish about falling Men may fall either 1. partialitèr pro tempore 2. totalitèr finaliter First Men may fall partially and for a season when there is not an amission or utter losse of grace but only an Omission forbearance or abatement of some of the acts or degrees of grace for a season as the trees yeeld not their leaves or fruit in the winter but in the spring they put forth again Thus when Peter denied his master Loquitur Christ●● non de amissionesed de omissione 〈◊〉 remissione pristini zeli fervor● Geo. Grossiu in loc he had not utterly lost his faith and love but there was some abatement of their degrees and a forbearance to act as before And this was the case of Ephesus here