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A81974 A iudgement or a definition of the visible and invisible church of our Lord Jesus Christ. By J. D. J. D. 1641 (1641) Wing D35; Thomason E181_3; ESTC R7309 5,087 13

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themselves No there were schismes among them Some held of Paul some of Apollo some of Peter But you may say they disagreed not touching matters of waight many were of that point that they thought simple fornication was no sinne so that it behoved Paul to instruct them concerning the same 1 Cor. 6.12 Wherein then appeares the Churches glory It is more inwardly glorious her glory is more Internall than Externall As there is a twofold state of the Church the outward I have discovered to you already standing in visible Assemblies in the publike Ministery of the Word and Sacraments in externall Discipline Government So now I pitch upon the Inward the Invisible estate of the Church this estate stands in the true knowledge of God in Christ in comforts touching remission of sinnes and life everlasting in the gifts of grace and of the Spirit and of Gods protection And in this respect shee is right glorious yea a most glorious Church for what glory is it to have a painted outside and a most deformed inside Take a Tombe gilded outwardly but within full of dead mens bones Math. 23.27 It is the inward vertue which God requires My sonne give me thy heart Prov. 23.26 He desires truth in the inward parts and in the hidden parts thou shalt make me to know wisdome Psal 51.1.6 It is this Inward glory which the Lord requireth and doth respect The inward ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit in the sight of God is of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 This inward beautie of the Church what tongue of man can sufficiently expresse it it is but a glimpse hereof All that I can say or expresse to you we may note in these seven degrees First The Churches inward glory it hath the possesson of Gods word and the acknowledgment of the true God Deut. 4.7.8 What Nation is so great that hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is unto us What Nation is so great and glorious that hath statutes so righteous as all these Lawes Psal 147.19 20. He hath shewed his Word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation Secondly The confidence in prayer and his assured love in hearing her prayers Rom. 5.15 Wee have received the spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father Whatsoever we aske wee receive of him Joh. 3.22 Thirdly Perpetuall Preservation in the midst of all affliction Mat. 16.18 The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Isa 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and when thou walkest through the fire the fire shall not hurt thee Fourthly To it belongeth the Covenant of promise Rom. 9.4 It hath a more sure word of promise 2 Pet. 1.19 Fifthly It is adorned with the gracious gifts of the Spirit as love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance Gal. 5.22 The world is not worthy of them Heb. 11.38 Sixthly It is secure and voyde of feare We will not feare though the earth be moved and though the mountaines be carried into the midst of the Sea Psal 46.2 They have the peace of conscience which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 Seventhly It hath inheritance of life everlasting and the promise of endlesse glory They are heires according to the hope of eternall glory of a better life 2 Cor. 4.17 This is the Churches Inward glory Let us strive to make as great shew as we will of perfection in this world if wee are not members of this glorious Church we are lost and must abide in a gall of bitternesse for ever but those that are of this glorious Church shall obtaine this purenesse Now because of the Inward glory notwithstanding the outward blemish and defects it is esteemed glorious as the Prophet saith Psal 45.13 Shee is all glorious within and so in Canticles fourth Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Behold thou art fayre my Love and so forward you may reade sweet expressions of uniting Love that passeth betweene the Lord Christ and his Espoused Bride the Church As in the seventh verse he concludes Thou art fayre my Love and there is no spot in thee No spot how can that be seeing the Church it selfe acknowledgeth its own blacknesse Cant. 1.8 and her own drowsinesse Cant. 5.2 But shee is all glorious First in regard of Christs imputation he gave himselfe for her that he might sanctifie her and clense her with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such defect but that it should be holy and without blemish Ephes 5.26.27 Secondly In respect of Gods acceptation Seeing thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honoured and I have loved thee Isa 43.4 Thirdly In regard of the future glorification of it it shall be full of glory Revel 21.23 Now we see this point of the Churches glory discovered and we see the Church what it is and so by consequence a particular Church is a glorious Church if it hath Inward soundnesse although it be not wholly freed from outward blemishes Therefore this doth condemne some spirits of the times that doe raile too much not looking upon GODS great Worke which doe not labour with their prayers to cry to the Lord to finish his own Work Would they would discerne between the substance and the circumstance between doctrine and manners between the outward hue and the inward beautie but it cannot be because of many evills therefore no true Church If that blacknesse of the tyranny of these Prelates as we hope they shall not marre the Churches foundation nay if they doe it it shall be a glorious Church in Gods estimation You see as before the Church of Corinth was a true Church notwithstanding her manifold disorders The Church of Ephesus was a true Church notwithstanding her declining Rev. 2.4 The Church of Pergamus was a true Church notwithstanding shee was sealed even In Sathans circuit and pestred with the devillish sect of Balaamites and Nicholaitans Revel 2.13 14 15. So was Thyatira notwithstanding her Jezabelising Revel 2.20 So was Sardis notwithstanding her lukewarmenesse povertie and nakednesse Revel 3.16 17. Hath not the brightest day his Cloud the finest Laune his brack the purest gold his drosse Is there or was there ever any Church in the world that might not be tainted with some imperfection Deny as well they may there is no Sunne in the Firmament because it is sometimes over-clouded and no soule within that body which outwardly is deformed And let this be our comfort although wee are farre from perfection in this life Sanctification in any thing else all sinning Iames 3.7 Having the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Gal. 5.17 Though here we cannot wholly be freed from spot and blot yet so long as we delight in the Lawes of God concerning the Inward man Rom. 7.22 and strive forward towards the marke of the price of the high calling of God in Christ Phil. 3.14 Wee have a gracious Father who will spare us as a man spareth his own sonne that serveth him Mala. 3.17 We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the just who is the reconciliation for our sinnes 1 Joh. 2.12 In him we are presented to God without spot or wrinkle Ephes 5.27 and for his sake in Gods sight we are all glorious Which I beseech the LORD that all the Saints of God whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all may be ours and we Christs as Christ is Gods FINIS