Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	jesus_n	lord_n	see_v	7,565	5	3.6443	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53671	A brief instruction in the worship of God, and discipline of the churches of the New Testament, by way of question and answer with an explication and confirmation of those answers.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1667 (1667)	Wing O721; ESTC R9489	80,905	231

therefore unto your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy-Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood 1 Pet. 5.2 The Elders which are among you I exhort feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof 1 Tim. 3.15 Colos. 4.17 And say to Archippus take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it They were the Churches of Christ wherein they ministred which Christ appointing them to take care of manifests to be his own institution and appointment And this is fully declared Rev. chap. 2.3 where all the dealings of Christ with his Angels or Ministers are about their behaviour and deportment among his Candlesticks each of them the Candlestick whereunto he was related or the particular Churches that they had care of and presided in the Candlesticks being no less of the institution of Christ than the Angels And they were distinct particular Churches which had their distinct particular Officers whom he treateth distinctly withall about his institutions and worship especially about that of the state of the Churches themselves and their constitution according to his mind Secondly There is no instruction exhortation or reproof given unto any of the Disciples of Christ after his ascension in any of the books of the New Testament but as they were collected into and were members of such particular Churches This will be evidenced in the many instances of those duties that shall afterwards be insisted on And the Lord Christ hath not left that as a matter of liberty choice or conveniency which he hath made the foundation of the due manner of the performance of all those duties whereby his Disciples yield obedience unto his commands to his glory in the World Sixthly The principal writings of the Apostles are expresly directed unto such Churches and all of them intentionally 1 Cor. 1.1 2 Cor. 1.1 Gal. 1.2 Phil. 1.1 Colos. 1.2 chap. 4.16 1 Thes. 1.1 2 Thes. 1.1 Ephes. 1.1 compared with Acts 20.17 1 Pet. 5.2 or unto particular persons giving directions for their behaviour and duty in such Churches 1 Tim. 3.15 Tit. 1.5 So that the great care of the Apostles was about these Churches as the principal institution of Christ and that whereon the due observance of all his other commands doth depend Of what nature or sort these Churches were shall be afterwards evinced we here only manifest their institution by the authority of Christ. Seventhly Much of the writings of the Apostles in those Epistles directed to those Churches consists in rules precepts instructions and exhortations for the guidance and preservation of them in purity and order with their continuance in a condition of due obedience unto the Lord Christ. To this end do they so fully and largely acquaint the Rulers and Members of them with their mutual duty in that especial relation wherein they stand to each other as also of all persons in particular in what is required of them by vertue of their Membership in any particular society as may be seen at large in sundry of Pauls Epistles And to give more strength hereunto our Lord Jesus Christ in the revelation that he made of his mind and will personally after his ascension into Heaven insisted principally about the condition order and preservation of particular Churches not taking notice of any of his Disciples not belonging to them or joyned with them These he warns reproves instructs threatens commands all in order unto their walking before him in the condition of particular Churches Rev. 2. and 3. at large Besides As he hath appointed them to be the ●eat and subject of all his Ordinances having granted the right of them unto them alone 1 Tim. 3 1● intrusting them with the exercise of that authority which he puts forth in the rule of his Disciples in this World he hath also appointed the most holy institution of his supper to denote and express th●● union and communion which the members of each of these Churches have by his Ordinance among themsevles 1 Cor. 10.17 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread And also he gives out unto them the gifts and graces of his spirit to make every one of them meet for and useful in that place which he holds in such Churches as the Apostle discourseth at large 1 Cor. 12.15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. verses Colos. 2.19 Eph. 4.16 It is manifest then that no Ordinance of Christ is appointed to be observed by his Disciples no communication of the gifts of the Holy-Ghost is promised to them no especial duty is required of them but with respect unto these Churches of his Institution In the Answer to this Question four things are declared tending to the Explication of the nature of a particular Church or Churches 1. The subject matter of them or the persons whereof such a Church doth or ought to consist 2. The means whereby they are brought into a condition capable of such an estate or qualified for it 3. The general ends of their calling 4. The especial means whereby they are constituted a Church which last will be spoken unto in the next Question For the first All men are by nature the children of wrath and do belong unto the World which is the Kingdom of Satan and are under the power of darkness as the Scripture every where declares In this state men are not subjects of the Kingdom of Christ nor meet to become members of his Church Out of this condition they cannot deliver themselves They have neither will unto it nor power for it but they are called out of it this calling is that which effectually delivers them from the Kingdom of Satan and translates them into the Kingdom of Christ. And this work or effect the Scripture on several accounts variously expresseth Sometimes by Regeneration or a new birth sometimes by conversion or turning unto God sometimes by vivification or quickening from the dead sometimes by illumination or opening of the eyes of the blind all which are carryed on by sanctification in holiness and attended with Justification and adoption And as these are all distinct in themselves having several formal reasons of them so they all concur to compleat that effectuall vocation or calling that is required to constitute persons members of the Church For besides that this is signified by the typical holiness of the Church of old into the room whereof reall holiness was to succeed under the new Testament Exod. 19.6 Psal. 24 3 4 5 6. Psal. 15.1 2. Isa. 35.8 9. Isa. 54.13 Chap. 60.21 1 Pet. 2.9 our Lord Jesus Christ hath laid it down as an everlasting rule that unless a man be born again

account that the people might fear that glorious and dreadfull name the Lord thy God Deut. 28.58 which name he had so often engaged in his commands saying thou shalt do it I am the Lord. And in the New Testament our Lord Jesus Christ proposeth his authority as the foundation of his commanding and our observation of all the institutions of the Gospel Mat. 28.18 19 20. Jesus came and spake unto them saying all power is given me in heaven and 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 whatsoever I have commanded you And he is to be considered in all our obedience as the great and only Law-giver of his Church as the one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy James 4.12 the Soveraign Lord over his house Heb. 3.4 5 6. unto whom every knee is to bow and every conscience to be in subjection and he who heareth not his voice is to be cut off from the people of God Acts 3.23 It shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Secondly God hath frequently promised his speciall presence in and with his instituted Ordinances Of old both unto the things themselves and the places wherein they were according to his appointment to be celebrated those of places being also of his speciall institution Under the New Testament all difference of and respect unto place is taken away John 4.21 The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him And we are commanded in all places equally to make our prayers and supplications but his presence is promised and continued with the due celebration of the things themselves by him appointed for his service Ma● 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you even to the end of the world In them is the Tabernacle of God with men and he dwells among them and they are his people Rev. 21.3 the promise of Christ being that where two or three are assembled in his name there he will be in midst of them Mat. 8.18 20. And this promised presence of God or Christ consisteth 1. In the power and efficacy which he by his Spirit implants upon his Ordinances to communicate his Grace and mercy unto his Church it being his Covenant that his Spirit shall accompany his word for ever unto that purpose Isa. 59.21 2. In the special blessing which he gives his people in those duties both in the acceptance of them and testifying his good will unto them Exod. 29.42 43 45. At the Tabernacle of the Congregation will I meet with the People saith the Lord there will I meet with the children of Israel And the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory and I will dwell amongst the children of Israel and will be their God Zech. 2.10 11. Ezek. 20.40 41. I will accept you with your sweet savour Ezek. 43.27 in both giving them intimate communion with himself by Jesus Christ John 1.3 By all these he gives that special presence which he requires an especiall reverence and regard of faith unto whereby his name is yet farther sanctified 3. God hath given special promises or promises of his speciall grace unto them that attend upon him in his worship in a due manner and hereunto also belongs that sacred Relation which by vertue of divine institution is between the sacramentall elements and the especial Graces of the Covenant which they exhibit and confirm and the mixing of these promises with faith according as they are appropriated unto any particular institution belongs also to the right sanctification of the name of God So also 4. doth our delight in them now this delight in the worship of God so much commended in the Scripture and proposed unto our example consists not in any carnall self-pleasing or satisfaction in the outward modes or manner of the performance of Divine Worship but it is an holy soul-refreshing contemplation on the will Wisdom Grace and Condescention of God in that he is pleased of his own Soveraign meer will and grace so to manifest himself unto such poor sinfull creatures as we are so to condescend unto out weakness so to communicate himself unto us so to excite and draw forth our souls unto himself and to give us such pledges of his gracious intercourse with us by Jesus Christ by the contemplation of these things is the soul drawn forth to delight in God Lastly Whereas great opposition lyes oftentimes against the Churches obedience unto God in this matter and much persecution befalls it on that account great weariness also being apt from the remainders of unbelief carnall wisdom indwelling sin weakness of the flesh in Believers themselves to arise in the course thereof and many temptations also beset them on every hand to turn them aside from the way of truth and holiness constancy and perseverance in the due and orderly celebration of all the Ordinances of the Gospel belongs unto this duty And this perseverance respecteth both the things themselves and the manner of their performance both which are of the highest concernment for us diligently to attend unto First As to the things themselves herein do we principally glorifie God and give due honour unto Jesus Christ when we abide in our professed subjection unto him and observance of his commands against difficulties oppositions and persecutions This he taketh notice of Rev. 2.13 Thou holdest fast my name and hast not denyed my faith even in those dayes wherein Antipas was my faithfull Martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth And this he requireth of us indispensably if we will be his Disciples or ever hope to obtain the reward Mat. 10.38 39. He that taketh not his Cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me and it is he who endureth unto the end that shall be saved Matth. 24.13 And unto them who are faithfull unto the death and them alone doth he give the Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 giving us caution not to lose those things which we have wrought that we may receive a full reward 2 John 8. And as to the manner of their performance two things are to be regarded in this duty of perseverance and the sanctification of the name of God therein First The inward principle of our obedience our faith and love which are to be preserved from decay Rev 2. 4 5. I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works Chap. 3.3 Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent Secondly The outward manner of