Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	worship_n	worship_v	wrath_n	28	3	7.8291	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62960	An exhortation unto reformation amplified, by a discourse concerning the parts and progress of that work, according to the word of God, delivered in a sermon preached in the audience of the General Assembly of the Massachusets colony, at Boston in New-England, May 27, 1674, being the day of election there / by Samvel Torrey ...	Torrey, Samuel, 1632-1707.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1674 (1674)	Wing T1916; ESTC R13732	47,259	54

open and professed Enemies unto pure Churches Worship and Ordinances are arisen unto so high a degree of bold Presumption among us and that notwithstanding they know that Publick Authority is by good and wholsome Laws and so by Oath and so by Conscience and by divers obligations both Civil and Sacred engaged against them I am no Casuist in the great Case of Toleration neither shall I undertake either to state dispute or decide that Question what is in it self or in divers respects or cases at divers times and places either Tolerable or Intolerable in matters disputable But this I take to be undeniable That gross bold scandalous presumptuous transgression of any one or more or all the Commandments of the First Table perpetrated and persisted in with an high hand notwithstanding all due means of Conviction used and against clear light held forth and manifestly under the Prevailing Power of a Spirit of Errour with malignity in open opposition to the Truth the true Churches worship and ordinances of Christ I say I take it to be unquestionable That such transgression it is Intolerable Such I take to be the transgression of those who do grosly and scandalously profane any of the holy Ordinances of Christ in the Administration of them presuming to offer strange fire but much more of those who do both professedly and practically deny most if not all Fundamentals both of Faith and Order and are known and acknowledged so to do by all the Reformed Churches in the world who are in their wayes of corrupt worship no less the Synagogue of Satan then those in Rev. 2.9 Now I say if such Transgressors and Transgressions should after the long labour and patience of these Churches in a strong and stedfast encounter and conflict with this Temptation at last prevail to break open a door unto corrupt worship by Teaching Seducing Tempting and Enticing others unto corrupt Communion with them according to the Doctrine of Balaam to cast a stumbling block before the people of the Lord as Rev. 2.14 I say if this should come to pass our case would be exceeding dangerous especially this coming upon us in our declining and languishing state when we have lost so much of our first life and love that we have soarcely strength enough left to reinforce our former Zeal and Courage in the Encounter yea and at such a time when the Generation is lamentably exposed by the sins of the Times which are all tempting unto a Compliance with such a Temptation and are too much without grace to resist it and in a very unsetled state as to their standing before God under his Covenant even standing upon the dangerous Precipice of a gross Apostacy the very opportunity for Satan to over throw us by such a Temptation Surely if it be thus or likely to be thus then there is very great need of watchsulness against this Temptation Neither let it be slighted or accounted a light thing for such Profanations and Abominations if Indulged will become the sins of the Land and the guilt and Punishment of them will lye and fall exceeding heavy upon the Land in a day of wrath O they will pull down wrath upon this Land and upon this People and the filth of them will pollute and defile the Land it will be such Pollution as will not be purged away without fire the guilt and filth of corrupt worship is not purged away without the fire and the fornace And that which is most Perillous it is the universal diffusion of the Corruption and Contagion of corrupt worship by the subtile and insensible infusion and influence of a Spirit of Libertinism a Spirit and Principle it is of all other most dangerous and destructive unto Pure Churches and will soon open a wide door unto all kinde of Abominations for all false worships although they seem in themselves to be contrary Extremes yet they all agree in this Principle of Libertinism and will break in at that door It will be in vain for us to hope for or Promise our selves Security from gross Superstition and Ceremony if we will leave open this door or admit of a contrary Extreme in corrupt worship And truly if we should give way unto any kinde it will be just with God to give us up Judicially unto all kindes of corrupt worship And let me adde That a Spirit of Libertinism if it prevail will in the end bring in all kinde of Licentiousness and Profaneness for it is a Womb big with all kinde of Abominations for corruption in Worship and conruption in Manners do alwayes grow and go together See at large Ezck. 22. beginning Although Libertinism doth promise much Liberty yet it bringeth into bondage to Corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 It doth gender altogether unto bondage O that these Churches may recover their first Zeal against Libertinism both the Spirit Principle and Practise of it and so against all corrupt worship which hath been the common destruction of Reformed Churches and will most certainly be of these Churches if it should break in upon us O let us consider we have been hither unto a People extraordinarily Priviledged with Immunity from corrupt worship we are yet free from any foraign or forcible Temptation thereunto we have yet all Advantages and Encouragements to withstand it and to keep it out If we admit of will-worship we shall lose all the glorious work of Reformation which our Fathers laboured in which consisted chiefly in Separation from corrupt Worship we shall at once reze the Foundation and ruine the Superstructure of these Churches which in the very Constitution were set up and stand in a way of opposition unto corrupt worship such Churches will not cannot bear any degree of corrupt worship will-VVill-worship it would even destroy our very Religion and reduce this VVilderness-People unto a kinde of Heathenism O wo unto us if we admit of will worship we shall soon fill up the measure of our sin and prepare our selves for Judgement even wrath to the utmost O wo unto New-England if ever God be provoked to revenge this quarrel of his Covenant upon us according to that Threatning Lev. 26.25 If we admit of will-will-worship New-England will become the shame and scandal of Religion and of all Reformed Churches the Reproach of the Christian world the Scorn and Triumph of Antichrist and in all respects a most sinful and miserable People Thus we are to do our first works in all things pertaining to the worship of God 4. Labour unto the promotion and progress of the work of Reformation by the full and faithful discharge of duty to the Children of the Covenant multiplying and growing up under the Covenant in those Churches under how great and general omission of duty towards them we have cause seriously and sadly to consider and to lament Truly it is much to be feared that we shall so long doubt and dispute the Interest and Right of fuch Children and controvert and neglect our duty towards them

hath this peculiar unto it that it bears the Style and Inscription of this great Prophet the Lord Jesus Christ himself Chap. 1.1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ And indeed it bears a very lively impression of his Image as it were in the Frontispiece of it drawn out to the Life by a twofold description of him in his Person Office and Work Chap. 1. ver 5 6 7 8. ver 13 14 15 16 as also throughout the whole Book respecting both the Matter of it and the Manner of delivery in the Mystery and Majesty of it It hath also this peculiar Eminency and Excellency that it contains a Systeme or the Sum of all Gospel Prophesie It is a Prophetical Revelation of all Mysteries of Divine Dispensation in the whole Series and Succession of it in every Age and Generation and in every state and condition of the Church respecting both the Propagation of his Kingdome and the destruction of his Enemies untill all the whole Mystery of God be finished and Time shall be no longer at least untill the last and utmost Prophetical Period It is the last great and general Prophesie which doth compleat the Canon of Holy Writ intimated Chap. 22.18 Therefore blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie c. Chap. 1.3 John the beloved and bosome Disciple and last Apostle is the Minister of this Revelation Chap. 1. ver 1. therefore the Dedication of it is from John unto the Seven Churches in Asia Chap. 1. v. 4. John to the Seven Churches in Asia This general or indefinite Dedication makes way for the particular Inscription of an Epistle unto the several Angels of those Churches in the 2d and 3d Chapters Our Text lyes in the first of these Epistles inscribed Vnto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Chap. 2.1 I shall not detain you with any discourse concerning the Scituation of the City or Typical Relation of the Church of Ephesus nor stay upon an Artificial Resolution of the Context by an Analytical Exposition of the Epistle which are vulgar with Expositors The way to our Text is easie and open it lyes in that part of the Epistle which is Narrative The words as to Mode of expression they are Monitory and withall highly Imperative or Commanding The duty commanded it is to labour according to direction given unto a full and through Restitution from that Declension and Defection in Religion which that Church was fallen into In order hereunto three things are proposed in the words as parts of the work and duty commanded to be done 1. An awakening sight and sense of their declension and defection in these words Remember from whence thou art fallen The word Remember here it imports an awakening convincing Remembrance it is often used in Scripture to express a conscience and conviction of sin Ezek. 16.61 63. from whence thou art fallen or elapsed slidden backslidden plainly signifying Backsliding and Apostacy 2. A penitential Confession of and humiliation under the sin of their declension and defection in this word Repent It signifies Repentance in the proper act of it which is a sad and solemn recognition of and reflection upon our past evil actions with Confession and Humiliation 3. Reformation in these words Do the first werks which signifie Reformation in the proper act of it positive practical Reformation Remember from whence thou art fallen repent and do the first works It is as if our Lord Jesus Christ should have said unto this Angel and Church of Ephesus Although thou hast been commendable and I have commended thee for thy strong and stedfast perseverance by the great labour of thy Faith and Patience in the sincere pure and powerful Profession of the Gospel respecting both Doctrine and Worship with extraordinary Zeal against Heresie and Apostacy Hereticks and Apostates and that also with extraordinary Courage and Constancy under many great Temptations and much and great Tribulation and although thou hast been extraordinarily beautified and blessed with my Presence in the exercise of my Kingly and Prophetical Office though thou hast been Eminent yea Excellent among the Churches and although thou dost yet hold up thy Profession in the external Form of it and dost therefore still deserve some Commendation Yet know O Ephesus that thou art fallen thou hast lest thy first love thou hast lost thy first life thou hast deserted thy first works thou art not what thou hast been thou art fallen into a state frame and way of backsliding and Apostacy Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and labour to recover thy self speedily from thy declension and defection and to retrive thy pristine and primitive Profession and practise of Religion unto its former internal and spiritual Life and Power from which it is chiefly that thou art fallen or else I will withdraw my gracious Presence from thee and come unto thee quickly in my wrath and devest thee of all thy Priviledges Church-Order Ordinances and Administrations of the Dignity and Beauty yea of the very Being of a Church by the Amoture of the Candlestick Remember from whence thou art fallen c. The words thus plainly opening themselves unto us afford us this Doctrine Doct. That it is the present and most important Duty and Concernment of any Collapsing or Back-sliding Church or Churches to labour under an Awakening Convincing sight and sense or under an Awakening Conviction of their Declension and Defection unto a full and through Restitution from it by Repentance and Reformation The Text it self is so good a Doctrine it doth seem needless to invert the terms of it It is enough to say That it is the work and duty of any Church or Churches which are in the like declining and decaying estate which this Church of Ephesus was in to Remember from whence they are fallen to repent and to do their first works It is the present instant and most important duty it is indeed all the work and duty which our Lord Jesus Christ doth commend and propound unto and press upon this Church in this whole Epistle and so unto and upon all other Churches in the like state and he doth propose it plainly and fully in all the parts of it that they might have a full and distinct understanding of it and direction unto it that they might be through and effectual in the pursuance and performance of it He proposeth it also as a most important duty and concernment as that upon which depended their very Being and Standing as a Candlestick amongst the Candlesticks as a Church among the Churches He proposeth it as a work and duty which they had yet great advantage and encouragement to labour in under the powerful exercise of his Kingly and Prophetical Office and therefore he represents himself unto this declining Church for their encouragement as walking amidst the golden Candlesticks and bolding the Stars in his right hand that is in his full and whole Sufficiency to uphold his Church in its

Train up your Children in the House of God unto the Worship of God that they may be prepared to uphold the Worship and Ordinances of God in their places in their generation It hath been heretofore the work of New-England to build the House of God to set up the Worship and Ordinances of God but now alas it is too much our work to pull down the House Worship and Ordinances of God Most of the sins of the Times and of the generation have a strong and direct tendenty thereunto We are sinning down and sinning away the Worship and Ordinances of God especially by our Pride Wantonness cannot Confidence in our visible Liberties and Priviledges carnal ease and rest Carnality Formality Hypocrisie Spiritual Idolatry in the Worship of God our manifold both gross and more spiritual Profanations and Pollutions of the House Worship and Ordinances of God O these evils growing and prevailing amongst us and many of the most notorious and scandalous sins of the Times getting into Churches and corrupting of Churches do sadly signifie at least great danger of the downfall of the House Worship and Ordinances of God Jer. 7.10 12. But that which is yet most sadly signal it is that there is not likely to be a people fit to uphold such pure Churches Worship and Ordinances at least not in the internal spiritual power and purity of them If we do consider how much both Civil and Religious Education is neglected and if we look upon the sad face of the Rising generation and see how much of Ignorance Atheism Profaneness Disobedience Rebellion and Irreligion doth already appear in the Conntenance of it what an ungracious irreligious generation there is likely to arise among us unless God in infinite mercy work a great and wonderful change our hearts may well tremble to think what will become of the Worship and Ordinances of God in the next Age. Many there are hopeful but alas how few in comparison with the Numbers of this numerous generation Here is a second generation arisen and a third and fourth generation arising apace and truly we have cause to fear that every generation will be less hopefull then other untill at last that wofull Saying be verified of us which is spoken Judg. 2.10 And there arose another generation after them which knew not the Lord. O unless God work graciously to save these degenerating generations there will be small hope of the long continuance of the pure Worship and Ordinances of God here the Worship of God and Religion will either revive and live or else utterly decay and die with the Rising Generations Unto this we may further adde the graduall removes of the Glory the disappearances of the Divine Presence the departures of God from his own House a sad sign that our House will be e're long left unto us desolate O how much then are we concerned to labour as much as in us lyeth by all means to uphold and maintain the Worship and Ordinances of God in their spiritual power and purity least the Glory should depart from this Israel and the Light of the Gospel be again utterly extinguished in this Western World 3. We must uphold and maintain our first love unto and zeal for the external purity which through the grace of God is yet continued unto us in the Worship of God The voice of Christ unto these New-England Churches is as unto the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2.25 That which thou hast already hold fast untill I come Keep and preserve pure Worship purity in the Worship of God preserve the primitive purity of these Churches according to their Reformed Constitution by Divine Institution that is pure instituted Churches purity in the Constitution of Churches is the ground-work of pure Worship Preserve a pure Ministry constituted exactly according to Gospel-order respecting all the Offices of it the Power the Investiture the Exercise the whole Work and Service of it such a Ministry as our Lord Jesus hath instituted and appointed Christs Ministry Preserve these pure Gospel-ordinances the Ordinances of Christ Admit of nothing as an Ordinance of Worship but that which Christ hath instituted and ordained and keep the pure Ordinances of Christ in the purity of them in the Gospel simplicity of them without any corrupt Mixtures in or with any Ordinance of Christ which is ordinarily the first inlet of corrupt Worship into most Reformed Churches O let us keep and cleave unto naked Ordinances simple Ordinances the Crystalline purity of the waters of the Sanctuary which are as they arise and flow from the Fountain of Divine Institution clear as Crystal Rev. 22.1 Preserve purity of Administration respecting both the Power Subject and Order of Administration Preserve pure and holy Order in the Administration of every Ordinance 1 Cor. 14.40 This holy Order is the Beauty of Churches Col. 2.5 Disorder it is a general Corruption in Worship it corrupteth both Churches Ordinances and Administrations and so it makes the House of God like a Den of Thieves Mat. 20.13 O Christians this purity of Worship it hath been the Eminency and Excellency of these Churches not yet lost as to the external Form of it It was Gods design and work not only to set up his Worship in New-England but to set it up in the purity of it by a purging refining Reformation God did therefore qualifie his Reformers with extraordinary Humility Sincerity and holy Zeal for purity of Worship and made extraordinary discoveries of his Minde and Will concerning his Worship unto them He did shew them the Pattern the Platform as I may say of his House that they might shew it unto us Ezek. 43.11 O how much then are we engaged to preserve purity of Worship Purity it is the Excellency of Worship it is the Beauty and glory of Churches it is that which maketh Churches shine as golden Candlesticks it makes Churches the Beauty of Holiness Psal 29.2 110.3 It makes the Church to appear in her Spiritual Beauty in her ornaments as a Spiritual Bride adorned and trimmed for her heavenly Bridegroom That purity of Worship which shall be after the destruction of Antichrist will be the chief perfection if not the consummation of the Gospel Dispensation Rev. 21.2.3 22.11 Then let us be moved to prize and preserve purity of Worship And to this end we must subject our selves our very Souls freely fully most sincerely unto the Power Authority Rule and Government of Christ as it is Regularly Ministerially exercised and administred in his Church in the Administration of all his O dinances Exalt Christ in the Exercise of his Kingly office in his Church whilst Christ is walking amidst the Churches holding the Stars in his right hand they will remain golden Candlesticks If we do debase Christ and set up our own wisdomes and wills in and about the Worship of God then farewell to purity of Worship Again if we will preserve purity of Worship we must keep up internal spiritual purity and

with the workers of iniquity but peace shall be upon Israel Psal 125.5 2. Let all the Friends Lovers Well-wishers Well-willers unto the Publick Good and Prosperity of these Churches up and be doing in the Work of Reformation You who are of the passing generation of the first undertakers of this Work of Reformation surviving and who have seen with your eyes and told us what works God did in your dayes as Psal 44.1 who have therefore yet a living remembrance of the gracious Wayes and glorious Works of God to his people in the first beginnings and prosperous progress of the Work of Reformation and so of the House of God of the Churches here in their first glory Hag. 2.3 You have also seen and observed the gradual declension and defection of these Churches and therefore you cannot chuse but be most sadly and sorrowfully sensible of our present necessity of Reformation O then be moved to do what in you lyeth by your Faith Prayer Life and Example to revive the Work of Reformation again before you die You also who are the present standing Generation the next and immediate Successors unto those first Reformers who have been actually betrusted with Church-Order Ordinances and Administrations with the whole Cause of God Kingdome of Christ and Interest of Religion and so with this great and glorious Work of Reformation and who are likely to be found most guilty of this general defection and have too much already endangered the loss of all O be you moved to stand up strongly unto the work under that Charge and all those solemn Obligations and Engagements which God hath laid upon you the weight and burthen of the Work lyeth upon you we have been raised up in the stead of our Fathers as Josh 5.7 to carry on this Work And truly if we should desert or be slight and negligent therein it will soon fall to the ground and sink past recovery and we shall thereby at once cut off the hope of our Fathers and lay the Foundation of the Ruine of Succeeding Generations utterly undo all Posterity O let us therefore make it our Prayer which is in 1 Kings 8.57 58. The Lord our God be with us as he was with our Fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us that he may incline our hearts unto him to walk in his wayes c. And you who are of the Rising Generation Adult Youth and Young men You are many of you if not most of you a Third Generation from those whom God first brought out into this Wilderness You are they who are likely to out-live Joshua and all the Elders of Israel that out-lived Joshua and all that Generation as it is said of them Judg. 2.7 8 9. You cannot many of you remember the works which God wrought for your forefathers You have never seen these Churches in their first Beauty and Glory nor the Worship and Ordinances of God in their first Spiritual Power and Purity It hath been so far your unhappiness that you have been brought forth and lived under the decaying state of these Churches and of Religion and therefore are like to grow up under the prevailing power of a Spirit of Apostacy And alas upon you is likely to fall all the Calamity and Misery of this Apostacy which is begun you will see and feel the sad and lamentable Effects of it O therefore that Youth and Young persons could lay this Consideration unto their hearts and be moved also to engage in this Work of Reformation before it be too late by labouring unto a sound Conversion and a religious Conversation in the dayes of their Youth O that All thus concerned would Vp and be doing True it is there are many great discouragements so that the hearts of those who are most and best disposed unto the Work are ready to fail especially considering that all means of Reformation have hither unto failed nothing hath hither unto done us any good So that God himself may justly complain of us as he did of that people Hos 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee c. Jer. 6.29 the bellows are burnt Truly Reformation it is likely to prove a very hard and heavy Work yet we must never despair of Reformation as that people seemed to do Ezek. 33.10 If our transgressions and our iniquities be upon us and we pine away in them how then should we live q.d. You call us to Repentance and Reformation and denounce Wrath and Judgement against us if we do not do it but alas to what purpose for God is resolved to suffer us to pine and die away in our sins And therefore God doth instantly give them an encouraging call to Repentance and Reformation Ver. 11. Say unto them As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn and live Turn ye turn ye for why will ye die O house of Israel Surely God is yet calling of us unto Reformation and waiting upon us for Reformation It is yet a Probation-time with us wherein we are standing before God upon our Tryal God hath repented once more of the evil as Amos 7.3 the unprofitable Tree hath one year more to stand in the Vineyard Luk. 13.8 Yet truly now God seemeth to be limitting of us to a certain day Psal 95.7 To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts O let us take heed then unto this day this limited day which will put a period unto Gods patience and long-suffering lest God swear suddenly and irrevecably in his wrath against us if once our day be past it will be indeed too late witness our Saviours mournful doleful Lamentation which he wept out over Jerusalem Luke 19.42 If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things of thy peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes And why see ver 44. Because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation therefore I say now now it is high time to reform It is pressed as a present as an instant duty Zeph. 2.2 3. Before before before before that is in all haste speedily Hos 10.12 It is time to seek the Lord that is it is high time more then time the onely time now if ever now or never I do now re-inforce the Exhortation at least by way of allusion to that in Hag. 2.4 Yet now be strong O Zerubbabel and be strong O Joshua the son of Josedech the high Priest and be strong all ye people of the Land saith the Lord and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts according to the word that I Covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt so my Spirit remaineth among you fear ye not So let Magistracy Ministry and People be strengthned and encouraged to this Work believing and hoping that Gods Spirit remaineth among us according to the Covenant which he made with his people when he brought them forth first into this Wilderness