Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	congregation_n	true_a	2,989	5	6.1703	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32753	Gods mercy shewed to his people in giving them a faithful ministry and schooles of learning for the continual supplyes therof delivered in a sermon preached at Cambridg, the day after the commencement / by Charles Chauncy, B.D., President of Harvard Colledg in New-England ; published with some additions therunto at the request of diverse honoured and much respected friends ...	Chauncy, Charles, 1592-1672.	1655 (1655)	Wing C3738; ESTC W19762	28,505	62

they two built up the house of Israel that is the Church of God by their posterity for sons to build up our own houses to be Banim Builders thus according to their name is a great blessing but farr greater that they are builders up of Gods Church house Psal 144.12 15. It is an happiness for Gods people when they are in such a case that their sonns are as plants grown up in their youth But much rather to have the Lord for their God and means to procure continue so Is it not so O ye people of God in N-England 2. Consider the state of the Country where wee live which is such that now the old stock of the country is well nigh worn out and there is no likelyhood of further supply that way now ye know how Gods people are fastned here that if there should not be some supply by schools of learning Gods people would soon be left without a teaching ministry c● as 2 Chron. 15.2 Is it not so O ye people of N-England Object But may we not be sufficiently supplyed from among our selves by the gifts and indowments of gifted brethren Answ I could wish as Moses that all Gods people were Prophets But you shall find it here as in other trades that there is a great difference between those that have been bound apprentices to a trade and others that are handy have gotten a litle skill by the observation of others this latter will serve to patch or bungle but wise men will rather choose to deal with those that have been trained up in such a course Thus from persons educated in good literature we may rather expect that they should be w●rkmen ●●at need not to be ashamed c as Paul speaks to Tim Isay 50.4 they that have had an ear to hear as the learned and the Lord hath given them the tongue of the learned are most likely a speak a word in due season to him that is weary c 3. Consider what helps diverse particular Churches have 〈◊〉 from these schools in greivous breaches that have been made in them when any of the precious servants of God have been taken away from hence others have stood up in their steads have made up the breaches comfortably as it was somet●mes said in the like case that the Sunn hath set and y●● no n● h● followed Is it not so O ye children of my people 4. Consider that this makes for the continuance of the Church propagation of religion to after ages for this was alwayes found true that where the vision failes there t●e pe●ple w●ll be made naked Pro. 29.18 they will be naked Congregations and naked souls and naked familyes and naked posterities naked of what naked of the righteousness of Christ w●ich is put on by faith and comes by hearing and the shame of this nakedness will appear to God man naked of the Christian armour to defend themselves from spirituall enemyes and where schools have been put down or ceased there churches have been unprovided and religion hath decayed and great ignorance errours have succeeded in after a●es but on the contrary this course of the instruction of youth is the meanes to provide for present future times and why do men plant orchards or preserve the breed of the best cattle but to provide for future times but is not the pure religion of more weight and the providing for the soules of posterityes to the worlds end this is an other benefit of worth is it not so beloved c 4. Let the Seperation consider this some of whom are averse to schools of learning that schools are available to rayse up Nazarites to further an holy seperation which is commanded unto christians 2 Cor 6.16 is it not so beloved c Consider how the sons of Behal papists and hereticks they compass sea and land to support and spread fortifie the Synogogues of Satan the dens of devils suburbs of hell should not the glory of God and the salvation of souls be deerer unto us then their destruction condemnation is to them all these things should forward our thankfulness to God for these mercys But now it is not a verball thankfulness that will serve our turn that would be gross hypocrisie but it must be really expressed towards the education of youth the incouragement of the ministry and the propagatiō of the Gospel The reality of your thankfulness let it be expressed in your future care 1. To do if it be in your power as Hezekiah did 2 Chron 30.22 that spake to the heart of all the Levites that taught the good knowledg of the Lord Yea do as Nehemiah did chap 13.11 See that sufficient portions be allotted contributed unto them 2. Do as Jehoshaphat did 2 Chron. 19.8 reach forth thine hand to send Levites into the blind and dark places of the country 3. Be at the cost to trayn up thy towardly children in good literature parents are commanded to trayn up their children Ephes 6.4 in putting understanding instruction into them as if children were like bruit beasts without it 4. In relieving the sons of the Pr p●ets and the Colledg as Fl●sh●h did 1 Kings 4.34 In setting up of free schools as the Lord inables you 5. If ye be poor yet pray for posterity and means of education and pray for the peace of Jerusalem and that Bethel the house of God may not be turned into Bethaven the house of iniquity that schools of learning be not poysoned or the fountains corrupted Vse 4. This point may serve for Information To teach us that Schools of learning are approved and appointed of God and of great importance for the benefit of Gods people Seeing that the Lord works with blesseth this means for the laying up of provision making of supplys for the work of the ministry and the Lord here reckons it up as the chiefest of all the blessings mentioned and this was always one way even when there were extraordinary Prophets of raising up of Prophets c And there is much more need of schools now when those extrardinary Prophets are wanting Quest What ground is there in the Scriptures for Schools of learning Answ Give me leave to shew this as a matter called by many into question in these dayes Now the Text and the explication thereof before shewes that the Lord did approve of them in the dayes of the old Testament that is the intent of the frequent mentioning of the sonns of the Prophets that is their schollers that were trained up under them besides 2 K●ngs 22.14 T●ere is mention of a Colledg where 〈◊〉 the Prophetess and no doubt many others nurtured in a way of learning lived and the Hebrews have an usuall word where by they call their schools ieshibah a company of schollers that sit together to be taught Mal. 2.12 the ●aster scholler is made mention of Now in the New