Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
scripture_n apostle_n church_n tradition_n 9,173 5 9.2350 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A64966 Odos gath operbochēns the more excellent way to edifie the Church of Christ, or, A discourse concerning love : the design of which is to revive that grace (now under such decays) among Protestants of all perswasions / by Nathanael Vincent ... Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697. 1684 (1684) Wing V415; ESTC R1364 76,586 160

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

is hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3. USE III. Of Advice unto the Church of Christ and all her true Members 1. Let their imperfection keep them humble There is not a Soul without a stain nor a Grace without a mixture nor a Duty without a failing nor a Saint without some sin remaining All therefore nay the very best of all have reason to be low in their own eyes The more humble we are the more our hearts are suited to our present imperfect state and the more of Gods reviving Presence notwithstanding our imperfection will be vouchsafed For thus saith the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Isa 57. 15. 2. Let the Churches Members hunger and thirst after a greater measure of righteousness Those that to do so are blessed for they shall be filled sayes he in whom all Fulness dwells Mat. 5. 6. This is an hunger truly sacred that never ends in starving but in satisfaction We should long more for the Waters of Life the Soul should thirst more vehemently for the living God desiring to behold his glory and to be changed more fully into his glorious Image Such kind of desires widen the Souls capacity and make it meet for a larger participation both of Grace and comfort 3. Let the Church believe and long for that enlargement and glory that is promised in the latter dayes but especially to be translated unto those Mansions above which her Head is gone to prepare for her Let her long that her Warfare may be well accomplished her course faithfully finished and the Crown of Life and Righteousness received And to this end let all her Members tear the Air and pierce the Heavens with their cryes Come Lord Jesus come quickly Rev. 22. 20. Thus of the Second Proposition That the Body of Christ is imperfect in this World and therefore continually should be encreasing Proposit III. The Third Proposition follows That the Body of Christ should diligently endeavour the edifying of it self Before the Apostle had used the Metaphor of a Body now he uses another Metaphor of an Edifice or Building The Church is to edify it self but the Power to do this is from God and her Lord who acts and strengthens her in this action lays a just claim to all the glory The Church is an Edifice or an House but a Spiritual one therefore called a Temple Eph. 2. 21 22. In whom that is Christ all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord In whom you also are builded together for an habitarion of God through the Spirit This Temple is holy for God hath set apart such as are godly for himself The Stones are lively for all Saints are quickened to live to God and act for him In this Temple Sacrifices are offered but they a●e spiritual Prayers Praises other Duties and the Heart of him that performs them And though these Sacrifices are never so spiritual yet they are not accepted upon their own account but they are acceptable unto God throug● Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. In the further handling of this Proposition I shall First Shew upon what foundation the Church is to Edify it self Secondly To what end this Edification must be Lastly Make Application In the first place I am to shew upon what foundation the Church is to edify it self 1. The Knowledge of God is styled a Foundation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his God has from eternity foreknown and chosen his Church in Christ that she should be holy and without blame before him in love Eph. 1. 4. This is a Foundation laid before the Foundation of the World and will endure infinitely longer than the World shall The Churches Members should give all diligence to make their calling and Election sure for if they do these things they shall never fall but an abundant entrance shall be administred to them into the everlasting Kingdom 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Now Election is made sure by hearkening to and obeying the call of the Gospel and departing from Iniquity 2. Christ the Rock is called a Foundation 1 Cor. 3. 11. Other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. Though he was set at nought by the Jewish builders yet he is the head Stone of the Corner neither is there Salvation in any other The Churches Faith must be firmer in Christ her hope in him more and more abundant and she may build without fear for the Foundation will never fail the Superstructure 2. The Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is also styled a Foundation Eph. 2. 20. Both were inspired by the Holy Ghost and the harmony and agreement between Apostles and Prophets between the Old Testament and the New makes the Foundation more sure The Church that she may edifie her self is to eye the Scripture then she will build according to the right rule Vnwritten Traditions that would impose upon her Faith what the Scripture has not revealed are to be rejected and that light within that would lead her away from the written Word is no more to be followed than a foolish Night-fire If she has Scripture for her Faith and Practice she has good ground for both and both may be justified before the Judge of all the World 4. Obedience and good Works are called a Foundation 1 Tim. 6. 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal life This is done by doing good by being rich in good works Though good works are not meritorious for Eternal Life is the Gift of God yet they are necessary to evidence out Faith and that the Promises may be fulfilled Glory and Immortality is promised to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for it Rom. 2. 7. He builds firm that builds his house upon a Rock and he builds thus who hears the Words of Christ and does them But he that hears and does them not is a foolish man and builds his house upon the sand and when the rain descends and the winds blow and the floods come and beat upon his house it will fall and great will be the fall of it Mat. 7. 24 25 26 27. In the second place I am to tell you to what end this Edification of the Church must be 1. The Church must Edifie it self that it may grow Stronger The stronger her Faith is the more will she Glorifie that God in whom she believes Rom. 4. 20. 't is said of Abraham He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God The stronger her Love the more it will constrain her to labour in
to suffer any of his faithful labourers and servants to want encouragement David had it in his heart to build him an house and God establishes the house of David 1 Chron. 17. 23. and his family was upheld till Christ the Son of David came I have done with the third Proposition That the Body of Christ should diligently endeavour the edifying of it self Proposit IIII. The fourth and last Proposition is this The more Love abounds among the members of the Church the more the whole Body will be edified or more briefly thus Love is exceedingly for the Churches edification I might be large in discoursing of Love to Christ and manifest how this will constrain all in whom it is to endeavour the edification of his Body and to seek the welfare of those for whom he died One who loves the Lord Jesus in sincerity how can he chuse but love all Saints though of different perswasions since notwithstanding that difference they are all so dear to him that he gave his life a ransom for them all and the blood of God was shed for every one of them that there might be a price paid sufficient for their Redemption But the Apostle is to be understood in my Text of Christians love one to another This is that Charity which the Scripture calls so loudly for Joh. 13. 34. A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another the command is doubled and called a new commandment because though delivered long before yet here 't is delivered with a new example that of Christ himself as I have loved you and consequently with a new and strongly enforcing motive The Apostle Peter gives this charge 1 Pet. 4. 8. Above all things have fervent charity among your selves Gifts though excellent may be abused and perversely employed to instill Errour and rend the Church of God Knowledge if it be alone will not profit but puss up him that has it But Charity edifieth 1 Cor. 8. 1. Love is greatly beneficial its acts are pure and peaceable and gentle full of mercy and good fruits and 't is against the very nature of it to work ill to any In the handling of the Proposition I shall First Discourse concerning the Nature of Love Secondly Discover the Properties which the Scripture attributes to it Thirdly Demonstrate how it is for the Churches Edification Fourthly Shew the vanity of those excuses that are made for the want of love Lastly Apply In the first place I am to discourse concerning the Nature of love There is a fourfold Love Carnal Natural Civil Spiritual 1. Carnal and impure Thus Amnon loved his fair Sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 1. and Sampson fell in love with Delilah but this impure affection cost both these their lives and brought the one and the other to an untimely end This may more properly be called Lust than Love and in whatever heart 't is harbour'd how does it defile and harden If but a spark of lust be let alone what a flame may quickly follow which may consume the Estate the Reputation the Body and the Soul it may indeed be extenuated but 't is threatned with the wrath of God Not only for fornication but for evil concupiscence cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Col. 3. 5 6. When Lust is suffer'd to conceive and bring forth actual Adultery how do the Adulterer and his Strumpet shew their hatred one to the other The mischief they do themselves is inconceiveable and how do they defile each the others Body wound each the others Conscience and delight in that whereby they damn each the others Soul 2. There is a Love which is Natural I mean Natural affection To have this natural affection is a duty for 't is planted in the heart by the wise and gracious God as that which has a mighty tendency to the conservation of Mankind therefore to be without natural affection the Apostle makes one of the crimes of them who were given up to a reprobate mind to do those things which were not convenient Rom. 1. 28 31. Natural affection we owe unto Relations which debt if we refuse to pay we shut our ears to the dictates of Nature as well as the word of Christ and become worse than Infidels nay worse than the beasts that perish Parents must love their Children Children their Parents Husbands and Wives be full of affection to one another But Grace should spiritualize this Natural affection Not only the persons of our Relations must be loved but their Souls and their eternal Salvation most earnestly desired and endeavoured and if we cannot bear the thoughts of a Parents Husbands Wives or Childs pain poverty slavery starving the thoughts of their being eternally damn'd should be much more intolerable and all means should be used to prevent it 3. There is a Love which may be styled Civil This is one of the great bonds of Humane Societies whereby they are kept together whereas hatred and discord do first divide and then destroy them This Amor patriae love to our Countrey the more it prevails the more will our Countrey flourish In a Kingdom the whole should be concerned for every individual and every individual for the whole and all the parts for one another No member should hastily be concluded a gangren'd one that is Ense recidendum ne pars sincera trahatur Presently to be cut off lest the whole Community be endanger'd Draco is not lookt upon as one of the wisest Legislators who made almost every Offence capital and therefore is said to have writ his Laws in blood A mild Government such as our English is does best suit with Christianity and is likeliest to attain the end of Magistracy the Highest Sovereigns glory the King and Kingdoms safety Love should make all the Subjects of a Kingdom to consider the Relation they have to and their concern in one another and no Plots and Conspiracies should be allowed but onely designs and endeavours of one anothers wealth and welfare especially the truest wealth and the welfare that is eternal I cannot but here bewail the want of this Civil love and the variance that is in my Native Country New Names of discrimination are invented which our forefathers knew not Breaches grow wide as the Sea who but the God of Love and Peace can heal them A perverse Spirit mingles it self among different Parties and differences are kept up and still increased with an unusual animosity When Phaeton had set the World on fire the Poet by an elegant Prosopopoeia brings in the Earth it self thus pleading Hosne mihi fructus hunc fertilitatis honorem Officiique refers c. And may not England which at this day is in a flame of Contention be introduced thus speaking to her Inhabitants O English-men what means this more than civil Discord and Fury among you In Me you have been born and bred And considering the