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	paul_n	timothy_n	1,351	5	10.3835	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87567	The stil-destroyer or, Self-seeking discovered. Together with the curse it brings, and the cure it requires. A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen of the city of London, upon occasion of a solemne anniversary meeting, April 9th 1645. / By William Ienkyn Master of Arts, and minister of Gods word at Christ-Church London.	Jenkyn, William, 1613-1685.	1645 (1645)	Wing J655; Thomason E277_6; ESTC R200004	55,281	61

m●dus Aug. when wee doe not exevcise our limbes but cra●●● out sinewes 〈◊〉 them not dip the tip of our rod in tasting the honey o● profit ple●sure honour c. but thrust it in even all over and engulph and swallow up our selves in matters of se●fe 〈◊〉 going beyond what is enough for our calling and condition resolving to have these things what even they cost us as the Apostle speaks of some 1 Tim. 6.9 who will berich who will through five and water and difficulties armies of these shall not hinder them from the water after which they thirst Fourthly The seeking our own things unleas●nably bastowing houres upon them that are due to other things is a seeking which makes us neglect the things of Iesus Christ when weroh the 〈◊〉 of her opportunities pil●er from God clip the Sabbath our Prayer● Religion the Church and Cause of Christ when the senlofeth here 2 Kings 5.26 that so it may gaine upon our owne things which we will seeke through Christ in his Saints and cause requires the contrary Is this a time said the Prophet to Gehazi to receive money and garments So might Paul have said to these tender delicate brethren that were so unlike to Timothie Is this a time to minde case and rest and safety and selfe such a kind of seeking our own things must needs hinder the seeking the things of Iesus Christ I have done with the first thing that I propounded to be ●pened viz. what seeking it is that hinders us from seeking the things of Iesus Christ The second followes 2. Bran●● of Expli●●tion Secondly the point opened by she wing what things of Christ Self-seeking hinders us from seeking 1. It hindred fró seeking and regarding Christ a himself what things of Christ this self-seeking hindereth 1. This caused a neglect of Christ himselfe when he was here upon the ●●●th even to an earnest soliciting him sometimes to depart out of their ●●●sts Matth. 8.34 Sometimes it made people fearefull to acknowledge him Iohn 9.22 At other time●openly to 〈◊〉 him T was this that derided him in the 〈◊〉 Pharis●●s Luke 16.14 T was this that persecuted him in the Ruler●●● T was this that 〈…〉 M●● 19 2● Danyed him so far as it prevailed in Peter Matth ●6 30 That bewayed him in Indas Matth. 26.47 That conirived his death in the chief Priests they were wholly bent upon presetving their owne place and their nation Iohn 11.48 T was this that conde●ned him in Pilate Luke 23.24 In a word it made his whole life a life of neglect and 't was the reason why Christ came to his owne and his owne received him not His owne sought their owne things Secondly Inordinate self-regarding hath ever caused and expressed a neglect of Christ and his things 2 And from seeking the things of Christ in his servants in mens cariage toward his servants What was it but this which made them accounted the burdens of the earth the wondermen of the world the plagues of their severall ages they were against selfe and selfe in every man was against them T was seeking their owne things that made Diana's worshippers so loude in their out-cryes against Blessed Paul Acts 19.28 that made Peter and Iohn threatned for that miracle of mercy that imprisoned and abused the Apostles Acts 4 18.5.40● that ston●d S●●ven for feacre of suffering a change in old and owne customes that moved Herod to kill James Acts 6 13.7.59● Acts 12.3 and endeavour the murder of Peter Self-regarding was the winde that ever raised stormes against the servants of Christ at the best it made them lookt upon with neglect and contempt it made people fearfull to accompany with them or ioyne to their Societie Acts 5.19 or if some did goe so fa● as out ward Compliance with them yet hath this self-regarding caused squint-eyed aimes and secret resolutions upon occasion of difficultie to forsake them What but this hath neglected Christ in his distressed members often denying reliefe to them 1 Sam. 25.11 T●ties dixit me t●● meum 〈◊〉 tandem 〈◊〉 fecit siant● st●rving Christ in his Saints Was it not this that made Nabal branded with the name of a churle and caused that unkinde deniall of Davias slender request Shall I give saith he my bread my water my fi●sh c. Thirdly This immoderate regarding our own things From seeking the things of Christ in the cause of Religion hath neglected the things of Christ in the cause of Religi●n What but this kept Meroz back from helping the L●rd What if not this detained R●nben among the sheep-folds to hear the bleating of the ●●ocks when the cause of God was in ●copa●dy Judg. 4. Chap. ● This t●ed D●n to his ships This shut up the hearts and hands of the men of S●ccoth and Pennel against the Fai●ting bodies of the pur●●ers of Gods and his ●hurches 〈◊〉 'T was the seeking their own things that would have cursed the Church by B●l●●●● Numb 22. disturbed it by Cora● Dathan and Abir●●● N●●●● 26.9 and 16.3 that abolished the purity of worship out of the kingdom of Israel by Jeroboam 1 King 12.26 27. that hindered the full reformation of it in Jehu's time 2 King 10.19 that retarded the reformation after the Babylonish-captivity Z●ch 2.7 Rom. 16.17 In a word all the home-bred distractions and divisions 〈◊〉 the unsound opinions sidings half-reformations sinfull limitations to go thus far and no farther ungodly bredths which people have indulged to themselves wretched allowances of grosse sinnes and errors in some though persecuting the appearances of them in others all these with infinite more have self-seeking in the Church for their source This hath been ever the * Tine● babet damnum non sonitum m●th of the Church Amariss●ma mea amaritudo in moribus domesticorum pax a paganis ab haere●●cis sed non a filiis making up in hurt what it wants in noise Sions Still-Destroyer to which the Church may say as I●phtah to his dangliter I am and ever was brought low for thy sake O self-seeking and therefore holy Bernard makes it a greater enemy to the Church then the most raging persecutions Fourthly 4. And from seeking the things of Christ in his word it hinders Ministers by making them to be sinfully silent Ephes 6.19 To adulterate it with humane wisedom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semper in fames habit● quod mer●es adulterant To wrack it for false opinions Tit. 1.11 Phil. 3.19 2 P●● 2.1 2 3. This seeking our own things neglects the things of Christ in the preaching of the Word Self-seeking hath made Ministers and people neglect Christ in his Word For Ministers it hath made them neglect the Word sometime by sinfull silencing some truthes and un worthy face-fearing A sinne so ready to creep into the Pulpit that Paul desires the Ephesians Ephes 6.19 to pray it down even

you to the account Ta●●mus sed non ●●tinguim●s people may be silent of it and forget it themselves but they cannot make Christ forget it Seek the things of Christ in his Church in his Cause in his Word in his Servants if ever you would have him regard you hereafter regard him here Be a shield to Christs cause now if thou wouldst have him to be a shield to thee hereafter Paul saith that Onesiphorus sought him out diligently 1 Tim. 1.17 18 and refreshed him even in his chaines and we see what follows even a prayer that he may finde mercy from Christ in that day of account since hee had sought these things of Christ before And thus I have done with the first generall part of the Text the nature of the offence 2. The generality of the offenders follows The second generall head in the Text is the generality of the offenders All saith the Apostle seek c. An expression which I conceive comprehends a threefold reference or looks with a threefold Aspect 1. Vpon Paul 2. Vpon Timothy 3. Vpon the generality of whom the Apostle here complains that they sought their own things I shall name all the three respects 1. As it hath reference to Paul it notes two things 1. Sorrowfull resenting of the neglect of the Church even as if every one had forsaken it and not one left to own it and the things of Christ A gracious person deeply and sadly layes to heart the neglect of the things of Iesus Christ Wee finde as I said before Saint Paul once weeping in this Epistle Phil. 3.18 but 't was because of some that were not friends to Iesus Christ Sir Fr. Bacons Nat. Hist When two strings of an Instrument are tuned one to the other if the one be struck upon and stir'd the other will move and tremble also A Saints soul is harmoniously consenting in its affections to Christ and if he suffer and be struck a Saint will tremble and bee moved likewise 2. 2 Tim. 4.3 In reference to Paul it notes courage in reproving zeale in opposing a spreading fault Paul dares speak even against all if all will neglect Christ A gracious heart will stand for Iesus Christ in the midst even of a prevailing number that oppose him the multitude and generality of resisters hee meets withall will not must not make him desist And therefore hence we may gather a probable mark of a Christians or a Ministers sincerity doe they oppose the spreading prevailing sinnes of the time wherein they live It 's ordinary to see and hear men cry down sinnes that are put down and discountenanced to their hand that perhaps have few or none to plead for them but the sinnes of the age and place as suppose it be erroneousnesse in judgement or contempt of the publique Ordinances reviling the Saints slightnesse in religion c. these sinnes that are in fashion and are prevailing require a courage and a faithfulnesse like to Pauls to deal with them There 's the first respect in the word All viz. to Paul 2. The second respect of this word All is as it concerns Timothy whose graces of zeal and integrity the Apostle doth clearly here beautifie and adorne by that foyl of self-seeking in others In the foregoing verse he had commended Timothy for his uprightnesse and zeal for the Churches good here hee amplifies that commendation from setting down how opposite the generality was to him he was for the things of Christ though the most were against him And thus it notes The true commendation of a Christian That Christians piety and zeal for Christ is most highly commendable which holds up Phil. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in times and places when and where Christ is neglected The darknesse of the night makes the candle or the star the more bright and shining There 's the second 3. As this word all here refers to the generality who were Brethren and ●ellow-labourers and professors even together with Paul and Timothy it notes Discovery by difficulties even of the fairest pretenders to the things of Iesus Christ It 's a rare thing even among great numbers of Christs seeming friends to find those that in straights will cleave to him Who is it almost that forsakes him not and flies when following him is followed with dangers Very few that continue with Christ in an hour of temptation Christians for the most part take up profession of Religion as some people go to Sea upon pleasure and recreation when the weather grows stormy they presently think of comming back again Vnsound fruit will hang on the tree in a fair Sun-shining-day but in a boysterous windy day it soone falls off Outward troubles will overcome a meerely visible and outside professor but they cannot ●each the soul truely implanted into Christ FINIS