Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	church_n	earth_n	power_n	8,852	5	5.0914	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61215	The mutual duties of elders and people Delivered in a discourse at Beckles in Suffolk, Octob. 13. 1697. At the setting apart of Mr. John Killinghal, to the office of an elder, over a Church of Christ there. By John Stackhouse, elder of a Church of Christ in Norwich.	Stackhouse, John, dissenting minister.	1698 (1698)	Wing S5104; ESTC R220764	32,438	41

care for the tender Lambs they must care for those that are oppress'd with Infirmities they must not over-drive the Flock and they must diligently know the state of their Flock whether increasing or decaying in grace They must be very careful to avoid that reproof that God gives by Ezekiel against the Shepherds in that day Ezek. 34. 2 3 4. Woe be to the Shepherds of Israel that feed themselves should not the Shepherds feed the flock Ye eat the fat and clothe you with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the flock The diseased have ye not strengthned nor healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought again that which was driven away neither have ye sought that which was lost but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them Oh this is a severe Reproof a dreadful Charge to be given in against any that are called to be Shepherds or Pastors it behoves us all to keep our selves unspotted and to be faithful 8. They are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers or Doctors Isa 20. v. 30. Thine eyes shall see thy Teachers they shall no more be removed into corners 1 Cor. 12. 28. God hath set some in the Churches first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers Therefore they must be apt to teach Therefore that is inculcated as the qualification of a Bishop 1 Tim. 3. 2. He must be apt to teach And they must hold fast the faithful Word and be able by sound Doctrine to exhort and convince gain-sayers Titus 1. 8. They must exhort instruct and comfort the Church with all Authority these things command and teach 1 Tim. 4. 11. Charge them that are rich in this World cap. 6. 17. They must reprove publickly such as do sin publickly they must give an open reproof for open sins 1 Tim. 5. 20. Them that sin rebuke before all that others also may fear and they must take heed to themselves and to their Doctrine There must be great care and great solicitousness 1 Tim. 4. 16. in us that what we speak in the Name of the Lord be indeed the Mind of the Lord and cordially believed and submitted unto by our selves as such 9. And lastly They are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders or Presbyters If any Man be sick let him send for the Elders of the Church James 5. 14. The Elders that are among you I exhort who am also an Elder 1 Pet. 5. 1. But with Elders there must be Wisdom and an Ability to give Counsel and Gravity they must not be Novices they must Rule well and be Examples to the People Thus in general from their Names and Titles I have shewed you that they are over you in the Lord. II. I shall shew you a little in Particular what you are to understand by this being over you in the Lord. 1. It is a Power communicated by Christ's Word of Command or Institution the Constitutions of the Gospel do prescribe it Matth. 28. 20. teaching them to do whatsoever things I have commanded you And if any do assume more than Christ doth grant and command in his Word such are Usurpers Thieves and Robbers vainly pretending to what they do not receive and derive from Christ by his Word 2. The Rule that Chrst hath entrusted and committed to them by his Word is the guidance of the Church in all things belonging to the Worship of God for the ordering and disposing of all things in the Church for Christ's Glory and the Churches Edification they are to care for all the Spiritual Concernments of the whole Society that is committed to them they are to care for the House of God 1 Tim. 3. 5. 3. They have their Power immediately by the Church but not from the Church Christ doth apply the Office tho' the Church designs the Person The Church chuseth them and the Holy Ghost makes them Overseers Acts 20. 28. They are sent by Christ John 13. 20. He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me They are Ambassadors for Christ they do act in his stead and by the Authority that he hath committed to them As a King in his absence may appoint Officers to wait upon his Queen and to manage the Affairs of his Kingdom and may also give Rules that upon the death of any of them she should Dr. Goodwin's Government of Churches chuse new ones yet still their Authority is such as the King hath vouchsafed in his Commission to them not what the Queen gives them by chusing them 4. The Obligation of the Members of the Church to a free and voluntary and uncompelled Obedience to them doth arise from the Authority of Jesus Christ which the Elders exercise according to his Laws Your Obedience I say must be free and voluntary yet you are obliged to obey them because they exercise the Authority of Christ according to his Laws They do not act by the Authority of the Church when they declare the consent and determination of the Church in the common Affairs of the Church The Church doth in consenting exercise their Liberty and their Privilege according to the order of the Gospel for the order of the Gospel is such that no act can take place in the Church without their own consent but whilst the Church doth thus exercise their Liberty and the Elders do declare the consent of the Church yet still they act by the Authority of Christ and in his Name Matth. 28. 3 last Verses All Power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you Note here That because all Power is given unto me therefore I do authorize you to disciple and baptize all Nations and to teach them to observe all the Institutions of Worship that I have commanded you All Gospel Ministrations are grounded upon the Power that is given to Christ and that not only with respect to the Apostles themselves but also with respect to ordinary Elders that are their Successors for so it follows Lo I am with you always to the end of the World So in Tit. 2. 15. These things teach and exhort and rebuke with all all authority let no Man despise thee They must not act Imperiously nor Precariously but they are to act in their Ministration with all Authority and this Authority is not their own Authority but Christ's and the Authority of Christ must be be freely owned no Man must despise them Thus I have spoken to their Dignity they are over you in the Lord. II. Consider their Work they labour among you and admonish you And here let me shew you Summarily First What their Work is And Secondly That it is a labour I. As for their Work the Apostle speaks Eph. 4.

12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Minstry for the edifying the Body of Christ There seems to be a transposition of these words for the work of the Ministry which lieth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those two things here named the jointing in of the Saints into Christ and into Church Fellowship and the edifying of the Body that such as are not Saints may become Saints by the Power of the Word and be jointed into the Church and after that they are jointed in that the Body might be edified Particularly 1. They are to preach the Word of God and they are to administer all the Ordinances of God and they must do it diligently and faithfully This charge is given 2 Tim. 4 12. Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine They must speak like the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. with clear Evidence of Scripture Light that God in all things may be glorified They must not corrupt and mingle the pure Word of God with the sophistical Notions and Errors of Men 2 Cor. 2. 17. They must not lay wood and hay and stubble upon the foundation if they do their Work shall suffer loss and themselves be saved with great difficulty so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 12 15. 2. They must watch for your Souls Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls They must watch with great care and great diligence tho' thereby they be exposed to great trouble and great danger They must warn the People of their Backslidings and of their Wanderings and they must charge them that they keep the way of the Lord they must exhort them to their present Duty and they must exhort them to lay hold on their future Reward They must be very watchful lest by some means the Tempter should tempt any and their labour should be in vain 1 Thess 3. 5. They must warn them when any danger approacheth as God chargeth Ezekiel in Chap. 3. 18 19 Verses When I say unto the wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked ways to save his life the same wicked Man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hands c. Bear with us Beloved if we seem unto you to be too earnest and too warm in our Admonitions and Reproofs we speak for the life of your Souls and it is for the life of our own Souls also we must shew you the good way of the Lord convince you of the Equity of it and labour to impress you with a sence of your Duty and excite you by the most powerful Motives we can use to a cheerful even and constant walking in the ways of the Lord. 3. The Elders are to exhort and comfort all the Members of the Church yea and all that desire to receive Instruction from them as their Condition and Necessities do require They must do this with great gentleness and compassion with simpathizing Bowels and condescending Love such the Apostle tells the Thessalonions was his Carriage towards them 1 Thess 2. 7 8. We were gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted to you not the Gospel of God only but also our own Souls because you were very dear unto us So also he chargeth us 1 Thess 5. 14. Brotherly Love doth oblige all to attend unto this Duty but the Office committed to the Elder doth much more oblige him to it he is to be patient towards all 2 Tim. 2. 25. and in meekness to instruct them that do oppose themselves if peradventure God may give them repentance that they may escape out of the snare of the Devil They are to do this generally in their publick preaching of the Gospel and also particularly from House to House Thus the Apostle declared his diligence Acts 20. 20. I have kept back nothing that was profitable to you but I have shewed you and taught you publickly and from House to House 4. They are to defend and maintain the Truth against all Corruption and Error 2 Tim. 1. 13 14. Hold fast the form of sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That good thing that is committed to thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And they are not only to keep it themselves but they must by sound Doctrine exhort and convince Gain-sayers the mouths of gain-sayers must be stopt who subvert whole Houses speaking things they ought not for filthy lucre's sake 1 Tit. 1. 11. And in Chap. 2. v. 8. it is required of them that they have sound speech that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of them It is that which requireth great Wisdom that we do keep close to the Word that we hold fast the Form of wholesom Words according to the Scripture and that all that we speak in the Name of the Lord be sound Speech that cannot be condemned we must contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. v. We must watch against grievous Wolves entering in amongst us This is the Charge given to the Elders in Acts 20. 28 29. The Churches and especially the Angels of the Churches Rev. 2. 2. must try them that say they are Apostles and are not and find them to be lyars 5. They that are over the Church must be exemplary in yielding Obedience to all the Commandments of Christ Whosoever therefore shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach Men so shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. 19. If you teach it not in your Preaching and teach it in your Example that any of the Commands of Christ are too little to be regarded you incurr the Threatning of being excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven Oh what cause of trembling have we So the Apostle chargeth Timothy 1 Tim 4. v. 12. Be thou an example of the Believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity And in 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee also youthful lusts but follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart Elders are set up in a golden Candlestick to be Lights and they must be pure Lights they must be burning and shining Lights if there be any filthiness in them it will lessen the Light and make the Light offensive which they hold forth to the People They are set upon a Hill the Eyes of all Men are upon them and their not walking in exemplary Holiness brings a great reproach upon the Gospel and Truths of Christ which they preach But it is honourable if they can say as Philip. 3. 17. That is

the Truth for where envy and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Verse 16. If ye bite and devour one another take heed lest ye be consumed one of another Gal. 5. 15. I have shewed you shortly the Truth of the Doctrine And I would only repeat the Exhortation be you then exhorted I beseech you Brethren to undissembled love and unfeigned Peace let Love be the Principle and let Holiness be the Bond of Peace among you Hear how pathetically the Apostle presseth the Exhortation Eph. 4. 1 2. 3. I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace So in 2 Philip. 1. 4. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves look not every Man on his own things but every Man also on the things of others Are you Christians Do you believe this to be the Word of God that doth contain the Evidences of your Salvation And can you easily forget such pathetical Exhortations Let not the Elders nor let I beseech you any of the Brethren have cause to complain As Psalm 120. 6 7. I have long dwelt with them that hate Peace I am for Peace but when I speak they are for War By way of Direction 1. Avoid Pride and an over-weening esteem of your own Wisdom and Worth Prov. 13. 10. Only by Pride cometh Contention i. e. Chiefly and eminently by Pride cometh Contention and if there is any thing of another cause that causeth Contention yet Pride mingleth therewith and blows up the Flame more vehemently Therefore avoid Pride yea do you count your selves to be nothing Consider that Parable Ecclesiast 9. 15 16. 2. Seek not your own Interest and Advantage prefer the publick good of the Church before your own private conveniency 1 Cor. 10. 24. Let no Man seek his own but every one anothers Wealth do not insist stifly upon your Right do not continually resolve that you will not abate a Pin but be of a yielding Spirit The Promise of the Land was made to Abraham but saith he to Lot Let there be no strife my Brother between me and thee Gen. 13. 8 9. do thou take thy choice if thou goest to the right-hand I will go to the left c. Therefore if you stifly insist upon any thing of your own Will and Interest consider that your Father Abraham did not so 3. Be not busie Bodies 1 Thess 4. 11. That ye study to be quiet and to do your own business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love this Honour It is your honour to be quiet you cannot so easily do your own Business well don't you think it belongs to you to do the Business of others and that nothing is well done but what you have the ordering of don't you think that you must be the doers of all I shall conclude with these two Scriptures the first in the two Verses following the Text. We exhort you Brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded support the weak be patient towards all Men. See that none render evil for evil unto any Man But ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all Men. And I shall add the other thereunto and conclude 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally my Brethren farewell Be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you The Lord impress this upon all our Hearts FINIS A Catalogue of Books Printed for and are to be sold by Edward Giles Bookseller in Norwich near the Market-place SEveral Discourses concering Actual Providence A Word in Season Defensive Armour against four of Satans most Fiery Darts Sermons upon the whole first and second Chapters of the Canticles Thirteen Sermons upon several Useful Subjects The Happiness of Brethren dwelling together in Unity All published by John Collings D. D. of Norwich The Way of the Spirit in bringing Souls to Christ The Glory of Christ set forth with the Necessity of Faith in several Sermons both by Mr. Tho. Allen late Pastor of a Church of Christ at Norwich Enoch's Walk with God and Christ a Christian's Gain By Mr. Timothy Armitage late Pastor of a Church of Christ at Norwich Precious Promises the Portion of Overcomers By Mr. John Lougher Minister in Norfolk The Saints Ebenezer By Mr. Francis English late Minister in Norwich Directions to Spell English right The History of the Protestant Reformation as it was begun by Luther The Dead Saints Speaking being a Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Newcomb in Essex By Mr. Fairfax The Ordinary Matter of Prayer drawn into Questions and Answers Two Treatises the first of Rejoycing in the Lord Jesus in all Conditions The second Of a Christian's Hope in Heaven and Freedom from Condemnation by Christ Both by Mr. Robert Asty late Minister of Jesus Christ in Norwich Obedience to Magistrates recommended in a Sermon Preached Sept. 9. 1683. By Jonathan Clapham Rector of VVarplingham in Norfolk Two Discourses one of Spiritual Blessings the other that God hath an high account of the least Grace in the Saints By Mr. John Cromwell late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich In●ant Baptism of Christ's Appointment By Mr. Samuel Petto Pastor of a Church in Sudbury in Suffolk Of the Conversion of Sinners of God in Christ ●●e Necessity Nature Means and Signs of it with a Concluding Speech to the Unconverted An Answer to Tho. Grantham's Book called A Dialogue between the Baptist and Presbyterian A Sermon Preached upon the death of that Pious and Learned Divine John Collinges D. D. All by Mr. Martin Finch Pastor of a Church of Christ in Norwich Sincerity or the Upright Mans walk to Heaven delivered in several Sermons in the Parish Church of St. Michael in Long Stratton in Norfolk by Mr. James Olfield late Minister there Alexipharmacon Spirituale Being a Defensive against the poyson and sting of death or the great expedient how to make the Bed of the Grave so easie that we may lay down in peace and take our rest A Plea for Abatements in Matters of Conformity A Sermon preached upon the 30th day of Jan. 1695. All by Mr. Sam. Snowden Minister of the Gospel in Newton in Norfolk Christ set forth in several Sermons upon the 7th Chapter to the Hebrews by Mr. Rob. Ottee late Pastor of a Church of Christ in Beccles in Suffolk Sacramental Discourses on several Subjects To which is added A Discourse of the Life of Faith by Christopher Ammarant Pastor of a Church in Southripps in Norfolk A Discovery of Audacious Insolence against the Doctrine of the Church of England vented in a Malicious Pamphlet by Thomas Grantham A Practical Discourse upon the 8th of the Romans A Brief and Plain Discourse upon the Decrees of God both by Nath. VViles The right way of seeking God in a Sermon preached at Great Yarmouth by Mr. James Hannot Pastor of a Church of Christ there The History of the Birth Life Sufferings and Death of our blessed Saviour by Mr. Henry Brett of Pulham in Norfolk The exceeding abundant Grace of God displayed in the Conversion of William Gymer a Penitent Malefactor and Murderer who was executed on the Castle-Hill of Norwich September 4. 1696. Written by John Lucas FINIS