Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
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A86581
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Zion's birth-register unfolded in a sermon to the native-citizens of London. In their solemn assembly at Pauls on Thursday the VIII. of May, A.D. M.DC.LVI. / By Thomas Horton D.D.
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Horton, Thomas, d. 1673.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing H2885; Thomason E490_6; ESTC R202559
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47,020
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75
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argues to the beleeving Hebrewes Heb. 10.34 and so of the rest Ye have an Unction from the holy one and ye know all things sayes the Apostle John 1 Joh. 2.29 And again the anointing which ye have received of him teacheth you c. and it is Truth and is no lie what 's this Unction and Anointing Even Regeneration and the sanctifying work of the Spirit the work of the new creature in them this abiding in them it taught them c. And this by the way gives us an account of the contrary Errors and false Doctrines and opinions which are abroad in the world why there are so many strange Tenents and conclusions which are broach'd and divulged not only in lighter matters and such as are of smaller concernment wherein every one hath liberty to abound in his own sense so he disturbs not the common peace of the Church but in the very substantials and fundamentals of Religion the truth of it plainly is this because there is so great a defect as to the work of Grace Therefore we have so many Hereticks because we have so many Hypocrites if men had better hearts they would have better heads and if they were better Christians they would be better Divines But because they fail in the one therefore they prove defective in the other That man that has a gracious spirit he cannot easily have a corrupt Judgement in those things which are of the Essence of godlinesse because his experience will set him right and prevent such corruptions in him Indeed it does not hold reciprocally and è converso A man may be orthodox in his judgement and yet but barren in his heart as not receiving the Truth in the love of it But he cannot be savoury in his spirit and rotten and unfound in his Judgement in a spiritual Truth at least so as long to abide and continue in it what ever he may for a fit and in a Temptation be subject unto as in any vice or enormity of practise yet to abide in it that he will not no more then he will in the other No if he be right in Affection he will accordingly be right in Opinion and if he be not he will not but then he will recover himself again These distempers they lye not in the Brain so much as in the Heart in the Heart originally and in the Brain only symptomatically By sympathy and complication you know as concernes the workings of the soul in a natural way there may be sometimes strange fancies and conceits arising from some lighter melancholy and distemper of body But where there are contradictions of reason and common sense it argues laesa principia some distraction or phrenetical humour Even so here in these spiritual improvements men may perchance erre in lighter matters through ignorance or non-attendency but to erre in fundamentals is an argument of some substantiall defect as to the work of Grace it self There are two Reasons especially why those which are of false hearts should be of false judgements in Religion The one is direct and immediate from the nature of the thing it self as the effect flowing from its proper and univocall cause And the other occasional and consequential as proceeding from the just Judgement of God who because they receive not the love of the Truth that they might be saved therfore sends them strong delusions that they should believe lies And thus ye see as an improvement of this point what great cause we every one have to make this work sure to our selves That we are indeed such persons as in this sense are born in Sion Now further where we prove to be so we have great cause likewise to acknowledge it and to blesse and praise God for it and the opportunities of it as who hath pleased to deal so graciously with us as herein he hath done When all 's done this is the great mercy of all and there 's none like unto it It is the original and fundamental Mercy and which layes the ground for all the rest Look as it is in the world all the consequent comforts of it they depend upon our Birth into it If we be stifled in the Birth there 's a period to all our worldly expectations or the hopes of our Parents for us Even so it is also in Religion as to the comforts and accommodations of that If we be not regenerate and born again there 's no hope for us at all If we be so we are then made for ever This Regeneration it brings in many other comforts with it Ability to serve God Benefit of the Ordinances improvement of all passages of Providence the peace of conscience and joy of the Holy Ghost and Heaven and salvation at last If we have any of these consequent priviledges belonging to us as Christians it does depend upon this primitive mercy that we are the children of God adopted and regenerated by Him Therefore let us blesse God for this above any thing else and for all the means which have been tending and conducing to this gracious work in us Let us think our selves so far born in Sion not only as we are born in it locally within the pales of the visible Church which I spake of before but also as we are born in it mystically that is as Members of the Church which is invisible and have the true and genuine work of saving Grace wrought in our hearts This is to be born in Sion and this is to be born in London indeed to be born in it thus They are not only born in London which are born within the Wals and Suburbs and Liberties within the Freedome and compasse of the City and here breath their first natural Breath No but which being born abroad though in remote and forein Countreys and Nations are here partakers of the Efficacy of the Ordinances and of the Power of the Gospel upon their hearts And they have cause for ever to bless God for such a mercy vouchsafed unto them these are the priviledges of the City indeed more then any thing else Whosoever he be that God has been pleased to make this City in which we now are to be an occasion of his Regeneration and Conversion to himself This City is the true place of his Nativity though the place of his Birth into the world were perhaps many hundred miles off though in Italy in Turky in India though in the farthest and remotest places of all the earth I will make mention of Rahab Babylon among them that know me They which were born at the lands end they were born in the very Heart of the City if it was thus with them This to the praise of Gods grace and to their own everlasting comfort is and still will be the condition of many an one at this time and in this very place There 's many a poor youth which comes up hither to the City from the furthest parts of the Nation and from the blindest
That to us a Childe is Born to us a Son is Given Esai 9.6 That this man was born there to speak in the words of the Text. If it were not for this we were all but in a sad condition There are many which talk of Gods Philanthropy and good Nature and love to mankinde yea that was in the giving of Christ at first but now after that He is once given there 's no love to us out of Him which we can rest or secure our selves in and the more we bottome upon this Truth the better Christians shall we be and the more spiritual in Christianity Jam. 1.18 Rom. 4.11 Improvement of Word and Sacraments We should again further improve the Ordinances and means of Grace which are vouchsafed unto us The Word and the Sacraments The Word for the begetting of us again And the Sacraments as the Seals of Grace to us And because I have named the Sacraments that Sacrament which is most proper to this purpose Especially of Baptism the Sacrament of Baptism which is the Pledge of our Entrance and Admission into the Church of Christ the Seal of our new Birth and Regeneration as we are born in Sion Let us bring our children to it and count it a great priviledge that they may be made partakers of it from whence they have a right and interest in all the prayers which are at any time made for the Church of God as themselves belonging unto it Beloved We must know that God observes what respect we give to his Ordinance and what we do not He keeps a Register of Christenings as well as of Births not only of who are Born here but who are Baptized Yea and in what fashion and manner too and with what regard to his own Institution Slubber'd and slighted Baptism is little better then none at all and in some respects worse God abhors it and will one day call us to a reckoning for it and our profanations in it making it but a matter of custome and formality and complement and bravery and the like beginning with Religion as we mean to hold out in it and our posterity after us As for the other Sacrament we seem to be now and then sensible of some respect due to that and we have cause to be so Now is not the one as great as the other in its own nature Do they not come from the same Author Do they not refer to the same end Do they not seal the same Covenant and Graces and Benefits and Priviledges for substance both of them the same though different in modification I beseech ye think seriously of these things I could not but give a touch of them as lying in my way and as pertinent to this present occasion And thus much may be spoken to you in reference to the Priviledge it self Care of our Meeting Now a word to you further in order to the celebration of it and so in reference to your Meeting and assembling together at this time That we be careful how we order this Matter For beleeve it this will be said and recorded too as well as the other Therefore it concerns 〈◊〉 to look to it both first to the principles that act us and that carry us to it And secondly to the Thing it self and the Behaviour of our selves in it 1. For the Principles First For the principles that act us and the grounds that we are carryed upon These must mainly be looked at by us 1. The End As the form is in Naturals so is the end likewise in Morals which does essentiate and specificate the Action now therefore we must have a care of this that it be right in us not for meer credit and vain-glory and pomp and applause in a frollick and a bravado to be talkt of as I in part hinted before For I must tell you we are very subject oftentimes to such things as these An Humor here in the City will go further with us many times then a better principle and we 'l do that upon fancy which we 'l hardly do upon duty or a more rational consideration Therefore let us take heed of it see we do it for Gods glory the expression of our own thankfulness mutual love and respect c. The Manner And for the Manner look to that also That we carry on the whole Businesse with prudence and discretion and meeknesse and Christian affection Take heed we make not that to be a Matter of division which is a Project of union It is that which our corrupt Natures and Satans malice joyning with them exposes us to if we be not the more watchful over our selves As we see in that great Feast of all the Feast of the Lords Supper that spiritual and Evangelical entertainment It was intended for a feast of love in its first Institution And yet what has caus'd more division and breaches of love then that has done as to the managing of it A very Meribah and Apple of contention and so remains still to this day It will likewise be so with us in such feasts of love as these are if we look not better to it For the Devil is not only contented to disappoint us of our principal End unlesse he withall carry us to an end quite different from it yea opposite and contrary to it 2. For the Thing it self Secondly As for the Thing it self we should be careful to expresse the forenamed Affections in some sutable matter There are two great Concernments in the world Godlinesse and Righteousnesse piety in reference to God and charity in reference to Men. And these are the two Channels in which our zeal must convey it self For particulars I leave them to your selves for the determination of them as you shall judge most meet and convenient ye cannot want occasions nay ye have crowds and throngs of them only I beseech you take heed that one does not crowd out another that whiles ye are uncertain what to do ye do at last nothing at all which is commonly the end of such uncertainties as these are And so come to a Parturiunt Montes c. in your Birth-solemnity As for the persons intrusted ye shall not need to doubt of them being men of so much faithfulnesse and integrity and known sufficiency in all particulars as that Envy it self cannot cavil or except against them So that here is nothing now desirable of you but a closing with the happy opportunity which is presented to you To make us more intent let us consider That unlesse we do somewhat which is singular in this our meeting we shall not be able to approve our selves in it there being otherwise no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse as the Town-clerk said at Ephesus Act. 19.40 It will not only be unacceptable to God but un-accountable to Men and we shall suffer in our reputations for it As for those of other Countreys which are