Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	church_n	communion_n	fellowship_n	1,870	5	10.0945	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41317	The Failing & perishing of good men a matter of great & sore lamentation : held forth in a sermon preach'd the 26 of June 1662, being the day before the internment of that eminent and faithful gospel-preacher, Mr. John Sympson.		1663 (1663)	Wing F93A; ESTC R40573	25,149	50

what this Ezekiel will tell us from the Lord what storie of judgement and wrath he hath to prate of to day My dearly beloved God taketh notice of all those unworthy speeches that are spoken secretly concerning his ministers he takes notice of that vain sleight spirit that hath been among professors who have said one to another Come le ts go hear such a man to day hear what he will say what news he will tel us what he will speak in the name of the Lord to us this day c. Beloved is there ever a soul in this congregation that hath secretly spoken against this faithfull servant of Christ now in heaven Oh! that God would break thy heart and so sanctify this present stroke as that it may tend to humble thee under the sense of thy sin And thus much for the first argument to move to humiliation viz. that the death of this faithfull servant of Christ is a very speaking providence Secondly To move you to a sense of this stroke consider these two great circumstances wherewith it was cloathed First That God took him away immediately upon his releasment out of Prison when you had some hopes of a further enjoyment of his labors and Secondly That God should take him away at such a time a time wherein there is the greatest want of faithful and zealous laborers as hath been for many scores of years in England especially of such as are inlightned in and zealous for Church-work such as have abilities for and a heart to that great work of maintaining the people of God in their separation from the world and Antichristian defilements Thirdly A third motive to humiliation is that near relation that was between this servant of the Lord and many of you present he was to many of you a faithful Pastor and Teacher who labored amongst you in the Word and Doctrine And mind what the Prophet saith Zech. 13.7 Smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered c. If the Lord prevent not now the shepherd is smitten you 'l be scattered for it will be hard to find a person so ready to venture life and liberty to feed you as undoubtedly had God spared him he would have been And besides to many of you he might be a spiritual Father a Father in Christ a means of your Conviction and Conversion and oh what hard hearts have you if you cannot mourn over a dead Father a dead shepherd a faithful Pastor when taken from you c But Fourthly consider those blessed qualifications wherewith this servant of Christ was bespangled and whereby he was inabled to serve the glory of God and your souls As First he was one that had love for all Saints he had room in his heart for every soul that he did judge to be received into the heart of Christ he held communion with the Saints not upon the account of this or that form or name but uponthe account of union with the Lord Jesus he loved no man upon the account of opinion but upon the account of union with Christ and this he hath declared many a time in this Congregation There was hardly a member that he did in the name of Christ and the Church give the right hand of fellowship unto but he did acquaint them with this his principle told them that union with Christ was the ground of communion among the Saints and the reason of their admission was not their being of this or that opinion but for that they were judged persons interested in Christ and such who by virtue of Christs purchase were heirs of that glory above that must receive all Saints not as Presbyters or Independents or Anabaptists c. but as Saints into its everlasting habitations Secondly He had great light in the doctrine of Free Grace he had cast anchorwithin the vail and understood much of that great mystery of the mercy seat And indeed here lay the glory of his ministry in holding forth the riches of Gods grace by Jesus Christ In the preaching of this Doctrine he was a mystery to this blind world they could not understand him and therefore hardly knew by what name to call him and not onely so but he was an offence to many professors for they not being able to reach him did judge that he intended liberty to sin notwithstanding he did often mention those cautions laid down by the Apostle Rom. 6.1.2.15 Gal. 2.17 And as at many other times so blessed be God a little before his imprisonment preaching from that text Rev. 3.15.16 c. he did so charge professors with their lukewarmness and hypocrisie and neglect of closet duty and family duty and Church duty that he left a sussicient testimony behind him for the stopping of such mouths for ever But in this the servant was not above his Lord for the Pharisees did thus charge Christ they did charge him with being a friend to publicans and sinners * Mat. 11.19 Something of truth there was in this charge for Christ he was the sinners friend but undoubtedly the intent of that charge was to accuse Christ with being a friend to sin and with indulging sin and wickednesse in his followers which was abominable for though Christ loveth the sinner yet he hates the sin with a perfect hatred Hebr. 1.9 Now if the wicked heart of man could thus charge Christ it 's no wonder that this his faithful servant should thus be judged And further as he had great light in the Covenant of Grace so he preacht that Doctrine with the greatest alacrity and raisedness of spirit imaginable In the handling of other subjects he was more streightned and discomposed but when he came to speak of the unsearchable riches of the Grace of Christ he was as an Angel of God lifted up above himself he had a flood of words and yet seemed to want words to express what he did know and what he did enjoy of divine grace and favour This being true as those that did live under his Ministry knows it to be the loss must needs be great To lose a pure Gospel Preacher is a great loss Eternity depends upon a right understanding of the great Doctrine of Justification by Christ Eternity depends not upon being baptized once or twice upon this or the other Form we may be guilty of mistakes about the circumstances of worship and yet be happy but if we mistake about the greatmatter of our Justification by Christ we are lost for ever And besides this Doctrine gives in the best comfort in the worst times gives peace in trouble and joy in sorrow and life in death c. When there are troubles without and fears within it is the consideration of the Covenant of Grace alone that can establish and settle the heart of a true believer It 's not so much the souls looking to the light within or to its own qualifications as to that perfect satisfaction that Christ made to divine justice for

all its sins in his own person that must beget in the soul a well-grounded hope of eternal glory All our inherent qualifications without an interest in the righteousness and satisfaction of Christ will leave us short of heaven at the last But Thirdly he was a faithful servant of Christ faithful I say and that both in respect to God and also to the souls of such to whom he preacht First faithful to God in that whenever it pleased the Lord to reveal ought of his will and pleasure unto him whenever anything was warm upon his spirit that he did judge to be from the Lord out it came let it please or displease hee would not bawk his light and conscience upon no account whatever He did not shun to declare unto you the whole counsel of God so far as it was revealed untohim And then his faithfulness unto your souls did appear in this that if at any time he was convinced that he had delivered any thing that was not consonant to Scripture hee would publickly and openly confess his mistake and error and trample upon his own name and honor to secure your souls that you might not be mistaken and deceived through his means That he did at any time mistake shews that he was a man subject to error as the best of men are that he did thus ingenuously and openly confess his error when convinced shews that he was an eminent faithful Christian faithful both to truth and the souls of his hearers I am apt to think that many Preachers have taught erroneous and damnable doctrines and thereby have seduced many and that some of these Preachers have been convinced that they have so done but notwithstanding this conviction the persons seduced by them might go to hell in their mistakes before they would indeavor to reduce them by making an open and publick acknowledgment of those errors which they have preacht Man is a proud creature and stands much upon his name and honour so that it is rare to find a person that is willing as Mr. Sympson often hath done to trample upon his name though thereby he might lift up Christ's name and save souls from dropping into hell Fourthly he was a zealous servant of Christ hee was willing to spend and bee spent that hee might fulfil his Ministry and do your souls good How laborious was he in preaching how constant was he in attending upon the Assemblys of the Church and how often hath he blamed you for neglecting those Assemblys He was not one that did the work of the Lord negligently but with a fervent spirit he served his God He was not one that would indent with God before-hand that would stand upon terms saying Lord I 'le serve thee so my name and estate and liberty may be secured but whatever he did judge to be his duty he would presently up and be doing and leave the success and blessing to the Lord. Fifthly he was an experimental Christian one that had much communion with God and much experience ●f his goodness as you have heard him often express ●ny a Preacher dishes out largely to others of that which he tasts but little himself I am not to think many a faithful Minister of Christ lives but low in comparison to what this blessed Saint injoyed By this his experience he was enabled to speak a word in due season to the weary soul Sixthly he was a very humble condescending Christian How did he labour after those things that might make for peace he laboured always to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace he would condescend to the meanest member of the Church for peace sake If he fail'd in any thing it was in that he was too apt to be drawn away by the perswasions of his brethren and could not carry on Church matters with that authority majestie severity and spirit of government which he might according to scripture rule have done to the reproof and shame of such who are desirous of and content with the enjoyment of Church previledge but are too high and proud to submit unto Church discipline There are deversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12.6 For to one is given a ruling spirit to another a healing spirit But all these worketh that one and the self same spirit dividing to every man severally as he will And the works and graces of God in his people are to be honoured and admired according as they shine forth in their operations and diversities Domination and rule is that most men seek after It 's hard to find a person that is gifted willing to condescend even in those things wherein he may to those Christians that are below him for peace sake A healing spirit is a glorious spirit and a spirit much wanting among the people of God in England To lose therefore a Christian of a healing composing spirit is a great loss Lastly He was a holy man After the Lord was pleased to work upon him by his mighty spirit and power and to reveal the riches of grace thorow Christ unto his soul he was as is known to many of a heavenly conversation He walked close with God in his family he was not a saint abroad and a Divel at home but made it appear that he was really good by this that he was relatively good good in his relations a good husband a good father c He sate loose from this world he made not gain his godliness he did not design to make merchandize of Christ and the Gospel He hath often denied mony for preaching especially funerall Sermons and if any were forced upon him or sent after him he would soon dispose of it to the poor His discourse was mostly heavenly and spirituall If other discourse was in hand he was but dull company he had little to say but if the conference were heavenly he was as upon the wing as a fish in the water and a bird in the air c. If it be here objected that Mr. Sympson was in his younger years of a vain and slight conversation I answer First Divine love rideth in greatest tryumph when it hath the greatest sinners following it as it's captives Secondly Some in the Church of Corinth that did heartily close with Christ were before their conversion very vile and wicked see 1. Cor. 6.9.10.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed c. but Thirdly This blessed saint would to his dying day acknowledge his former vanity and ungodlyness to his own shame and the lifting up of the riches of free grace through the blood of Christ and mind what the Apostle saith 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness Thus much for the 4th motive to humiliation which was drawn from the qualifications of this servant of Christ The 5th and last motive to humiliation is to