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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	holy_a	word_n	6,560	5	4.2187	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45679	The best match, or, The believer's marriage with Christ a sermon on the parable of the marriage of the king's son, Mat. 22. 1, 2, &c. : preached at Potters Pury in Northamptonshire, September the 29th, 1690 / by Michael Harrison ... ; to which is added four hymns ...	Harrison, Michael, Minister at Potters-Pury.	1691 (1691)	Wing H901; ESTC R14002	28,276	66

before he will come to Christ People cry out against spiritual lively quick preaching but why O this drives People to Despair There 's two sorts of Despair 1. To despair of getting to Heaven in a state of Sin while a Man is unregenerate unsanctified and truly such a Despair as this we do preach I tell you from the Lord Jesus Christ that every one of you living and dying in a Christ-less State you will be as surely damned as if you were in Hell already Joh. 3.3 Except you are born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God 2. There 's another kind of Despair and that is when Men despair of ever obtaining Mercy tho they do repent and leave their Sins We do not preach any such Despair as this But on the contrary do all we can to draw and to encourage Men to come to Christ with an assurance of Pardon Isa 55.7 Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts and turn to the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. There 's the Instrumental Cause of this blessed Work upon the Soul and that is the Word of God Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God If you would be drawn to Christ wait upon a Gospel-Ministry 4. There is the Efficient of this Heavenly Work the blessed and holy Spirit of God Ephes 2.8 Faith is the Gift of God The holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 because the Spirit by the Word can draw a Soul to Christ Therefore wait on the Ministry but beg as the Church doth the Drawings of the Spirit Cant. 1.4 Draw me 5. Here is the Terminus à quo or what a Man flies from in the day when he thus comes to Jesus Christ 1. He flies from Sin Now the Wicked forsakes his Way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts Isa 55.7 Now is the time when a Man hath right Apprehensions of the hellish destructive nature of Sin he sees Sin now to be worse than Plague Famine Sword or any Temporal Evils and therefore flies from it as Lot out of Sodom or the Jews out of Egypt he hastens now as for his Life to cleanse his Hand and his Heart from all Pollution both of Flesh and Spirit now Sin appears what it is in it self he flies from Heart-Sins secret Sins vain Thoughts as well as open Sins Psal 119.113 Psal 139.23 2. He flies from himself Whatever high Thoughts he might have of himself formerly he now sees himself one of the filthiest and loathsomest Creatures under Heaven and this especially in the Vileness of his Heart and Nature by reason of that Fountain of Original Sin and Corruption which is in him he now sees the Plague of his Heart 1 Kings 8.38 And hence he now loaths himself condemns and judges himself in the sight of God Rom. 7.28 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death 6. Here is the Terminus ad quem that to which the poor awakened Sinner flies and that is to Jesus Christ Indeed Faith in general looks to the whole Word of God and believes whatever is revealed therein to be true upon the Divine Authority of the Word it self yielding hearty Obedience to every Command trembling at the Threatnings Isa 57.15 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miser ego homo infelix ego homo Montan. Aerumnosus ego homo Beza Ah me miserum quis me liberabit ab hac dira servitute It signifies one that is wearied with troublesome and continual Combats like as a Champion striving a long time is like a last to be overcome 't is the Voice of one breathing after Deliverance Calv. But the principal and especial Act of saving Faith is a receiving Christ and a resting upon him alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life And altho this special Act of Faith as leaning resting hanging upon and trusting in Christ crucified be so much exploded in this corrupt Age by Men of corrupt Minds yet it is and ever will be a sweet and heavenly Truth prized by the Church of Christ more than all the World besides and clearly proved from the holy Word of God Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved So Ephes 1.13 In whom also ye trusted after that ye believed This leaning trusting resting upon Christ is the proper Act of justifying Faith and it hath three degrees Adherence Recompence Assurance 1. Adherence which singles out Christ and holds him and as it were by the hand of Faith takes him by the hand for the Stay and Support of the Soul The poor Sinner seeing his own Nothingness he flies to Christ hangs on him cleaves to him looks to him in every Strait when he has no-whither else to look nor none else to trust to 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to do but our Eyes are unto thee 2. Recombence which is an acquiescence on Christ the Soul resolves to rest upon Christ let the Issue be what it will as Job Chap. 13.15 Tho he slay me yet will I trust in him Or as Hester Ch. 4.16 I will go in unto the King and if I perish I perish So saith the Believer I will hang upon Christ's Skirts believe in him follow after him if I perish I perish tho he frown upon me I will not leave him tho he kill me yet will I trust in him Psal 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord wait patiently for him and he will bring it to pass 3d. Degree of Faith is the Faith of Assurance this is rare and but few Christians have it When the Spirit of God so shines in upon his own Work in the Soul as to inable a Christian to speak triumphingly with the Church Cant. 2.16 My Beloved is mine and I am his Or with the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that when this Earthly House is dissolved we have an House in Heaven Now poor complaining Soul thou hast not this Faith of Assurance yet if thou hast the Faith of Adherence and Recombence thy case is good Assurance is not essential to justifying Faith APPLICATION Is this so that God thus freely offers Jesus Christ to all that are willing to come to him then we shall make a fivefold Use of this Truth A Use of 1. Information 2. Examination 3. Exhortation 4. Direction 5. Consolation I. Vse shall be of Information in six things 1. If this be so then this informs us of the desperate Madness and Folly of the greatest part of Men in the World who wilfully reject Jesus Christ thus freely offered in the Gospel Should you see a poor Maid begging her Bread from Door to Door cloathed in nasty Rags and ready to perish with Hunger and Cold and a great Prince should offer his Son in Marriage to

for ever And this cannot be better expressed than in the Words of that Learned and Godly Divine Mr. William Pemble in his Book called Vindiciae Gratiae For the habit of Grace in the Regenerate we affirm that it is constant abiding for ever in them in whom it is once planted so that he that is once converted cannot so shake off the Grace of his first as to need a second Conversion and a Sinner once raised from Death unto Christ through the infusion of spiritual Life he dies no more but lives for ever to the Glory of God As appears from that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.2 3. What is this Seed by which we are born again 't is not the Word either alone or principally considered because that is the Instrument no it 's by the power of the Spirit without which the Word is but a dead Sound So then this Seed is the Power or Vertue of the Holy Ghost But why is this Seed called incorruptible in respect of itself it is so but it 's so stiled in this place in respect of the effect it produces quatenus Semen it produceth Fruit like it self incorruptible and immortal We are not born of corruptible Seed for that perisheth and what is born of it but of incorruptible that lives and endures for ever and so what ever is born of it is immortal this quickning Power of the Spirit lives for ever not only in it self but in us also therefore a Soul once in Christ by renewing Grace can never finally fall away 3. Others say That the Apostle speaks here only by way of Supposition If these fall away it 's impossible to renew them c. but they can never fall away But 4. Others say These were but the common workings of the Spirit upon the Hearts of Hypocrites and these come nearest to the Sense and it must be confest Hypocrites may go a great way in Religion and have even some Taste and Relish of the Things of God in their Spirits as appears in the Stony-ground-Hearers take heed Reader thou beest not an Hypocrite Mat. 13.20 they are said to receive the Word with Joy and yet not any saving Grace in their Souls But 5. Others expound this Scripture of those extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit Christians had in the Apostles days such as the Gift of Healing speaking with Tongues c. These extraordinary Gifts were from the Spirit And no doubt such as had any of these miraculous Gifts were much pleased and delighted with them and many that had them perished as may appear from comparing these Scriptures Mat. 7.21 22 23 24. Gal. 3.3 4. And this I humbly conceive to be the Sense of this Scripture O it 's dreadful to sin against Light against Convictions to live under a Gospel-Ministry and get no good by it But now these excepted Jesus Christ is offered to all in the visible Church and all are freely invited to come in as in the Text. Now these free and general Offers see in these two Scriptures Isa 55.1 2 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters and he that hath no Mony come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without Mony and without Price c. and Rev. 22.17 The Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith Come and whoever is athirst and will let him come and take of the Water of Life freely 5thly But in a peculiar manner tho Jesus Christ be offered in general to all yet he is particularly offered to such as are wounded and afflicted in Soul for Sin and these alone are the Persons that will welcome a Saviour Luke 5.31 32. The whole need not a Physician but those that are sick 't is the wounded Soul that needs a Plaister the sick Soul that needs a Physician the Prisoner that needs a Redeemer the lost Sinner that needs a Saviour Now if there be in this Congregation any trembling bleeding wounded Spirits that are with the Jaylor crying What shall I do to be saved O ten thousand Worlds if I had them for a Christ c. To such is the Word of this Salvation sent Poor Soul here 's a Christ for thee be of good chear arise he calls thee hear what he saith unto thee Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Thirdly What is it to come to Christ to believe in Christ to receive and accept him upon Gospel-Terms This coming to Christ 't is not a meer dogmatical and opinionative Faith a meer Perswasion of the truth of Scripture to believe the Articles of your Creed and profess your selves Christians this is very common but this coming to and believing in Christ it is a saving Grace wrought in the Hearts of Persons by the Word and Spirit of God whereby being awakened to see their Sin and Misery that Hell and Wrath due to them for Sin they despair in themselves and all other Creatures and speedily fly from their Sins and themselves to Jesus Christ resting on him alone for Justification Pardon and Eternal Life This is coming to Christ and not a Person under Heaven that hath not such a particular Faith as is here described did ever yet come to Christ 1. You have here the nature of it it is a saving Grace i. e. not what is common to Believers and Unbelievers but peculiar to Believers only there is a common Faith a common Love a common Repentance and common Obedience which Hypocrites may have and there 's a special saving Faith a heavenly new-distinguishing Work of the Holy Spirit on the Heart which is peculiar to a Saint and none but a Saint hath it you have both these expressed in that one Scripture Heb. 10.39 We are not of them which draw back to Perdition but of them which believe to the saving of the Soul Here 's first common Faith Some that draw back i. e. were unsound rotten-hearted Professors who had a common Faith enough to make them profess and own Christ in time of Peace but not enough to go through with their Profession and here 's a saving Faith a belieVing to the saving of the Soul O look to it that your Grace be more than what 's common 2. Here 's the necessary Preparation to it and that is the Heart awakened and humbled and broken for Sin this Brokenness of Heart for Sin it is not Faith nor coming to Christ but it is a necessary Preparative to it an unbroken Heart unhumbled Soul will never come to Christ Luke 5.31 32. The whole need not a Physician but they that are sick 'T is Necessity that drives Men to Christ when they see themselves undone ready to drop into Hell the Law curses them and they are beset on every side like those Acts 2.37 when they were pricked at the Heart then they cried out What shall we do to be saved now ver 38. the Apostle directs them to Christ the Sinner must first despair in himself

daub and flatter and heal the Wound slightly Some preach up a few dead Ceremonies cry up the Church the Church but do not preach Jesus Christ Regeneration Sanctification and Salvation by the Blood Death and Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ God owns not such Preachers but mark those Ministers that preach Christ and free-Grace not free-Will such Preachers as go to the quick Acts 2.37 Keep close to the Duty of hearing the Word preached if you slight the Ministry you will never come to Christ When you are to change your Relation or Habitation be sure to chuse and prefer Ordinances for your Souls go live under a godly Ministry hear constantly now and then or on a Lord's Day is not enough but in the Morning sow your Seed in the Evening withhold not your Hand for who knows which shall prosper this or that Object What if Ministers will not preach twice a Day Answ Such as know the worth of their own and Peoples Souls will be instant in season and out of season O if that Scripture were but writ upon Ministers Hearts it would make them vigilant for God Ezech. 3.17 and tremble for fear they should be found guilty of the blood of Souls I promised you a Fifth Vse viz. of Consolation to shew you the sweet happy blessed State such are in who are in Christ but I have already exceeded the bounds of a Sermon and therefore all I shall say is that of the Apostle which gives you an account of that happy sweet blessed Condition every Man and Woman in the World are in that are come to Christ Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus FINIS An Hymn of Praise to God the Father magnifying his Love for giving us a Saviour as Psal 148. 1. YE Holy Angels bright That wait about God's Throne Enjoying fullest sight Of that Eternal One God's Praises sing Who hath from Heaven a Saviour given Jesus our King 2. You blessed Souls Above Who see your Saviour's Face Praise God for his great Love And his redeeming Grace Whereby you are Set quite and clean from Sin and Fear By your Saviour 3. You blessed Saints him praise That yet below are found Let Sion's Sons always His Holy Praises sound Yea all the Earth To this Great King high Praises sing With sweetest Mirth 4. My thankful Soul adore This Glorious Majesty Triumph thou evermore In this great God most High To him draw nigh And evermore his Name adore Eternally An HYMN of Praise to Christ our Redeemer I. WHat Love profound in Christ is found To Adam's lapsed Race That God's dear Son should Man become O freest richest Grace Ye Angels blest and Souls at rest Wonder how this could be That God most High for Love should dye Upon a cursed Tree II. When Man for Sin was almost in Easeless and endless Woe And very near Eternal Fire God's flaming Wrath also He for our sake did undertake To bear God's fiercest Wrath And all the Sin that we were in To expiate by his Death III. Adore adore for evermore Thy Saviour's precious Blood Sing Songs of Praise to him always Who ever do's thee good Do thou still hate and ' bominate Sin which caus'd him to dye Your Voices raise in Songs of Praise To him Eternally An HYMN of Praise for the Gospel offering CHRIST I. OUr Souls with Joy do magnify Jehovah our Great King Because the Lord gives us his Word We praise him for this thing While thousands yet in Darkness sit Having no Gospel Light Our dearest Lord doth us afford Sweet Visions clear and bright II. Lord we will praise thy Name always For Gospel-Light now given And humbly pray that thy Word may Raise up our Hearts to Heaven In this same Hour some quickning Power In thy Word let us find O cause encrease of Light and Peace In our Sin-darkned Mind III. Our Hearts unvail our Eyes unscale To see our selves this Day What need we have of Christ to save A Christ to us display While in this Glass of Gospel-Grace God's Glory we do view Lord from above shed down thy Love Our Souls in Grace renue The Believers Groans for Sion's Deliverance As Psalm 148. I. O Blessed Jesus who Here once was crucifi'd Thy sacred Blood did flow Wherewith the Earth was dy'd And still each day Thy blessed Name doth suffer Shame Lord Come away II. Thy Gospel is abus'd By that licentious Train Thy Prophets are misus'd Thy Threats esteemed vain But Lord how long Will 't be e're Thou holy and true Avenge this Wrong III. Thy Saints and Servants here Accounted are as mad Their Hearts are fill'd with Fear While wicked Men are glad Save thine Elect That night and Day to Thee do pray To that Effect IV. The bloody Sword abroad Drinks Blood abundantly But when wilt thou O Lord Hear Sion's mournful Cry Hasten therefore That time of Peace when Wars shall cease For evermore V. Let Babel that proud Whore Sink into deep Distress That Sion never more She may at all oppress Charge her with Guilt And that because her bloody Laws Much Blood hath spilt VI. Thy Saints rebuke O Lord Be pleas'd to wipe away And speedily afford Thy Church that glorious Day When none shall more Hurt or destroy or her anoy For evermore VII The Wicked cloath with Shame Trample on that proud Race That will not know thy Name But still despise thy Grace But Lord display Here every-where thy holy Fear We humbly pray VIII Let that bright Morning spring Let Christ that Sun appear With Healing in his Wing On all that thy Name fear That all the Earth May sing with Joy continually In Sacred Mirth IX That Evening of the Day When Sion shall have Light For it we long and pray O let her Sun shine bright And those sweet Streams Of Truth 's Divine Lord let them shine With brightest Beams X. Let Christ ascend his Throne And reign for evermore Let him be King alone Let Nations him adore Bright Day appear When Christ shall reign and his sweet Name Be own'd each where XI That Covering Lord remove From Abram's sinful Race Look on them from above Grant them converting Grace Thy Spiritual Pow'r That so they may mourn look and pray To their Saviour XII A time is drawing near When Earth's most utmost Coasts The Lord's great Name shall fear And in him make their Boasts Lord come away Begin thy Work on Pope and Turk Why dost thou stay XIII Let Satan that proud Foe Be bound by thy strong Arm Confin'd in Hell below Thy Church no more to harm That every Nation May own thy Name and all may claim Thy sweet Salvation XIV Reclaim Mens Lusts and Wrath Make Earth a holy place Let Gospel-Light break forth Lord shew thy pleased Face Thy Sion-Hill Each day increase her Light and Peace Her Joys fulfil XV. Let Ordinances be Refin'd from Dross and Tin Let All Salvation see O let that Day begin When evermore That Sun shall shine and all combine Christ to adore FINIS THE POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER NEver did God shew greater Love to the Sons of Men than when he gave the Son of his Love to die for the Sins of Men yet too many give away their Souls for nothing and tho they will not now fear for Love in the Day of Grace shall hereafter tremble for fear in the Day of Wrath and know when too late how much Prevention is better than Confusion And thou that wilt not now come to Christ by saving Faith in the Day of his Love to receive him with his Merits and Mercies to thy eternal Consolation shalt hereafter be brought to him in the day of Anger to thy eternal Damnation Now to do the one and to avoid the other remember thou art but a Pilgrim and Stranger here and that the great and chief End of Man is to glorify God and save his own Soul That thou may'st do this be admonished carefully to pursue conscientiously to peruse and constantly to practise what is contained in this Enchiridion or Pocket-Companion The Author thereof thou mayst see at the beginning His Qualifications in the Sermon wherein are many sweet sacred and Soul-saving Truths contained delivered by the Author in the parish-Parish-Church of Potters Pury in the County of Northampton May the Wisdom of Heaven be opened and distill down such heavenly refreshing Dews upon these sweet and sacred Truths that they may make a deep Impression upon our Hearts and be seated and setled in our Minds and become fruitful in our Lives to the Honour of God the Joy of the Author and to the present Comfort future and eternal Happiness of the Hearers To conclude That thou mayst hereby know how to put off the Old Man and to put on the New Man Christ Jesus and so be made partaker of the Divine Nature and at last come to have the full Fruition of him in Glory is the earnest Desire and Prayer of Thy Friend and Servant in the Lord J. N. Minister of the Gospel at Potters Pury aforesaid Perlege Vive Vale. ADVERTISEMENT NEwly printed the Midnight-Cry a Sermon on the Parable of the Ten Virgins by J. Mason Rector of W. in the County of Bucks The second Edition with Addition of two Poems for the Coming of Christ by the same Author