Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	church_n	paul_n	timothy_n	1,351	5	10.3835	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51916	Sermons preach'd on several occasions by John March ..., the last of which was preach'd the twenty seventh of November, 1692, being the Sunday before he died ; with a preface by Dr. John Scot ; to which is added, A sermon preach'd at the assizes, in New-Castle upon Tine, in the reign of the late King James.	March, John, 1640-1692.; Scott, John, 1639-1695.	1699 (1699)	Wing M583; ESTC R18158	123,796	330

the Saints till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ From hence it is plain that there is a just and full stature Christians may grow to in this Life they may come to the Perfect Man that is to such degrees of Grace to such a state of Evangelical tho' not Legal or Absolute Perfection as will be sufficient to carry them to Heaven As in natural growths Men have a fixt and determinate stature to which they arrive so in spiritual growths there is a certain stature too which when we arrive at we become perfect Men and Compleat Christians that is such as are infallibly in a state of Salvation Thus I have shewn you that there is a certain growth of Grace attainable in this Life which is sufficient to assure us of Eternal Salvation I come now in the second place to shew you what this saving Growth in Grace imports and that both Negatively and Positively And 1st It doth not import an absolute freedom from all sin but is consistent with sins of ignorance and infirmity There is no state of absolute perfection on this side the Grave for there is Dung in all our Sacrifices and our very Righteousness is as filthy Rags As the best Grain hath its Chaff and the brightest Marble its Spots and Flaws so the best of Christians want not a mixture of sin and the highest Saints have some allay of Original Corruption Hence Solomon tells us that the justest man falls seven times a day and St. Iohn tho' the beloved Disciple comprehends himself in those expressions of his 1 Iohn 1. 8. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us Plain therefore it is that sins of ignorance and infirmity are consistent with this saving growth in Grace 2ly This saving growth in Grace is also consistent with some falls into wilful and presumptuous sins Thus David a man after Gods own Heart was guilty of Pride in Numbering the People of Adultery also and Murder which he himself calls presumptuous sins and yet recovered himself into a state of Salvation by this timely Repentance Thus also the Prodigal in the Parable was upon his Repentance reinstated in his Fathers Favour so that willful and presumptuous sins if repented of are consistent with this saving growth in Grace 3ly Saving growth in Grace denotes such an habitual obedience to all God's Holy Laws as allows no continuance or practice in any known sins St. Iohn gives a true Character of a Child of God 1 John 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God saith he committeth not sin that is he doth not live in the practice of any known willful and deliberate sin And this he illustrates by the contrary Character of a Child of the Devil vers 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning that is goes on in a constant trade and practice of wickedness without repentance He therefore that is a Child of God and has attained to a saving growth in Grace is one that doth not sin after this manner through the main tenor of his Life he pays a sincere obedience to all the Laws of God his Actions are generally innocent and laudable and when at any time like David he falls into presumptuous sins as he doth so very seldom so he always declares his abhorrence of them by a speedy and suitable repentance Thus I have dispatched the second General and shewn you what is that degree or stature of Grace a Christian must grow to before he can assure himself of Eternal Salvation I come now in the third Place to inquire Thirdly Whether any farther growth in Grace be attainable in this Life than what is just necessary to eternal Salvation And indeed if it were not so all God's Saints would be of the same size and stature they would all be equal as to their degrees and measures of Grace But tho' all of them have enough to carry them to Heaven yet there is a difference in their attainments and some like Saul are taller than the rest by the Head and Shoulders For every Saint has not the pleriphory or strong Faith of Abraham the Meekness of Moses the patience of Iob the zeal of Iosiah the temperance of Timothy or the diligence of St. Paul who is said to have laboured more abundantly than the rest of the Apostles All indeed have so much Grace as is necessary to Salvation yet it seems they have not all the same eminent degrees and measures of Grace Some with their Pound do only gain five others by their greater diligence gain ten pounds as we have it in the known Parable And for this reason God is pleased to promise higher degrees of Glory proportionable to those higher degrees of Grace men attain to in this Life Some shall have their Aureolae as the Schoolmen speak that is larger Crowns of Glory than ordinary Saints shall wear and those adorned with peculiar Ensigns of Honour as St. Paul tells us 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth abundantly shall reap abundantly both it seems shall reap and receive the rewards of their pious labours but yet in different degrees according to their different services in this World He that gains but five Pounds shall be made Ruler over five Cities whilst he that gains ten Pounds shall be made Ruler over ten Cities There is therefore a further growth in Grace attainable in this Life than what is just necessary to Salvation The Christian therefore who hath arrived at this saving growth in Grace is bound still to advance higher and endeavour after further Improvements in every instance of Vertue For we are enjoyned not only to do the Work of the Lord but to abound in it not only to grow in Grace but also to grow till we be perfect even as our Heavenly Father is perfect Here therefore is work enough cut out to employ all our faculties for ever and tho' we should be growing in Grace to all Eternity we shall still fall short of that Infinite Standard of Perfection whereunto we are obliged to aspire But tho' we are not able to reach the Infinite Perfections of God yet by our greater watchfulness over our selves by our more frequent Fastings fervent Devotions zealous attendance on Ordinances and eminent works of Charity by these and such like Heroick Exploits we shall more nearly resemble God and obtain a larger share of Happiness Whereas those that content themselves with such a lower growth as is just necessary to Salvation shall not indeed forfeit Heaven but only those higher degrees of Happiness which are to be enjoyed there Thus I have dispatched the third General and shewn you that there is a further growth in Grace attainable in this Life than what is just necessary to Salvation I

enjoys the bright beams of Heavenly light whilst all the World besides groans under worse than Aegyptian darkness This is the true Gideons fleece which is watred with the dew of Celestial Grace whilst the other parts of the Earth lyes dry and parch'd not unlike some barren and cursed wilderness This in St. Austine's comparison is the true Ark in which alone we can be secure from the deluge of God's wrath Thus great is their happiness who are in the Church of Christ But some difficulty there is to find out the true Church as Tertullian observed of Old faciunt favos vespae faciunt Ecclesias Marcionitae the most dangerous Wasps have their Cells saith he even so the worst of Hereticks are ready to cry out the Temple of the Lord are we That therefore we may not mistake Leah for Rachel or embrace a Cloud instead of a Iuno we must carefully observe that description St. Paul gives us of the true Church he tells us it is founded on the Doctrine of Heaven or if you had rather take it in the words of the Text it is saith he that houshold of God which is built upon the foundations of the Apostles and Prophets From the words thus far explained I shall crave leave to prove these four things First That the Doctrine of the Apostle and Prophets is the foundation on which the true Church is built Secondly That this Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is sufficiently delivered to us in the Holy Scriptures Thirdly That the Church of England is built upon this foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And Fourthly That such as continue in the communion of this Church are as happy as were those Ephesians of whom St. Paul says they were no more strangers and forreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints of this houshold of God I begin with the first of these to shew you that the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is the only foundation upon which the true Church is built The Church of Ephesus if we 'l believe St. Paul was the houshold of God or a true Church of Christ and it seems it was so because built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets we are sure these inspired Ministers of the Holy Iesus preached and planted none but the true Religion and we may be sure it can be no bad Church which owns and professes the same Religion I know there are several marks given of the true Church such as Unity Universality Antiquity Succession Sanctity and the like but tho' these where they are found are Great Ornaments to a Church yet the best and most infallible mark to know it by is its conformity to the Doctrines delivered by the Apostles For the true Church as the Apostle speaks elsewhere is the ground and Pillar of Truth but it will not deserve this honourable Character if its Doctrines be repugnant to the Doctrines delivered by the Apostles It 's said of the best and most Catholick Christians Acts 2. 42. That they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine And therefore such as follow the Primitive example will be far from deserving the brand of Hereticks Does not our Saviour himself tell us that his Sheep will hear his Voice and not the Voice of Strangers And where is this voice of Christ to be heard but sounding in the writings of these Apostles and Prophets This therefore is the sure word of Prophecy whereunto saith St. Peter ye do well if you take heed nor is this any other mark of the Church of God then what is generally own'd by the antient Fathers Tertullian brings in the Church speaking such words as these Sum Apostolorum sic teneo sicut illi testamento caverunt I am Heir saith she to the holy Apostles whatever Truth they left me in their Writings whatever Doctrines they bequeath'd me in their Testament these I firmly believe these I will constantly hold Ireneus calls the Gospel columnam firmamentum Ecclesiae the Ground and Pillar of the Church St. Chrysostome treating at large upon this Question How the true Church may be known returns this answer more than once The true Church is best known by the holy Scriptures saith he that is the Christian Church which agrees with these sacred Oracles and that is the Heretical which is repugnant to them None speaks more largely or more excellently to this point than the great St. Austine who in his admirable Book against the Donatists writes thus The question between us and the Donatists is where we shall find the Church What therefore shall we do shall we seek it in our own words or in the words of our Lord Iesus Christ I think we had rather seek it in his words who is the truth and best knoweth his own Church Let not therefore these Speeches be heard amongst us This I say and this thou sayest but let us hear Thus saith the Lord There are certain Books of God to whose Authority we both stand we both consent we both believe there let us seek the Church there let us try our cause I will not have the Church demonstrated by Man's teaching but by the holy Oracles of God Setting therefore aside all such matters let them shew forth the Church if they can not by the speech and rumours of the Africans not in the Councils of the Bishops not in the Writing of any Disputer not in Visions and Revelations not in Signs and false Miracles because God's word has abundantly prepared us and made us ready against these things But let them declare it out of the Prescript of the Law the predictions of the Prophets the Songs of the Psalms the testimonies of the Apostles the words of the Pastor himself whether they have a Church or no let them declare only by the Canonical Books of the holy Scripture these be the instructions these be the foundations these be the supporters of our cause Thus far St. Austine and because he is so clear and so full to this case I shall not need to trouble you with any further Authorities especially since the Church of Rome doth acknowledge in her Trent Catechism that no Church is Catholick that does not profess that faith which is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles She must not hold any new faith say they but that which was delivered of old by the holy Apostles And it follows in the same Catechism the Nicene Fathers did well to add the word Apostolick to their Creed saying I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church namely that all might know that is the only true Catholick Church which is Apostolick That therefore must needs be the truest mark of the Church which both Romanists and Protestants own to be so and indeed without this all those other marks which are pretended will signifie nothing Unity without Apostolical Doctrine is so far from being a mark of the Church that it may not only be found in the Societies of the worst of Men

be taken in this Figurative sense this Cup represents my blood For it follows presently after I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine saith Christ until that day when I drink it new with you in my fathers kingdom The fruit is called sometimes the blood of the Grape but sure without a figure it cannot be called the blood of Christ. Thus you see that our Church is Apostolical also in denying Transubstantiation 6. The Adoration of the Host is accounted by the Church of England a most dangerous crime for since as you have heard there is no Transubstantiation but it remains bread we dare not pay our Adoration to it which we believe a Creature for it is the plain Doctrine of our Saviour Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve 7. The Church of England in condemning the Worship of Images condemns only what the Apostles and Prophets had condemned before for this charge is given in the Second Commandment Thou shalt not make unto thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them Here we are forbid and that in most comprehensive terms the making of any Image whatsoever to Worship it It is not said Thou shalt not make Images of Idols or false Gods but it is said Thou shalt not make any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing To make an Image of the true God is a violation of this Commandment for the Golden Calves are condemned in Scripture notwithstanding the Children of Israel worshiped the true God under those representations Our Church therefore doth not allow her Members to picture God the Father in the likeness of an Old Man or the Holy Ghost in the similitude of a Bird or Dove For God is a Spirit yea an infinitely glorious Spirit and consequently cannot be pictured without an injury but to worship such Pictures or Images is as S. Paul speaks Rom. 1. to change the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like unto corruptible Man and to Birds 8. The Church of England does also justly condemn the Invocation of Saints by mental and vocal Prayers as the Trent Council enjoyns This Doctrine of the Church of Rome by the confession of Learned Papists hath neither Precept nor Example in Scripture to warrant it and consequently it cannot be built upon the foundation of the Text i. e. the foundation of Apostles and Prophets The Temple of old was called the house of Prayer to denote that Religious Prayer is a principal part of the Worship of God and does not our Saviour say expresly Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve To hear mental Prayers belongs only to God who alone trieth the reins and searcheth the heart and therefore to make such Prayers unto Creatures is to make them more than Creatures The Saints must be Omnipresent if they can hear all their Votaries who pray to them in all quarters of the Earth Now Omnipresence is an Attribute which belongs to the Divine Essence Thou art a God that heareth Prayers saith the Psalmist and therefore unto thee shall all flesh come We are told in Scripture that there is but one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Iesus and since he is most willing and able to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by him we do not use the Intercessions of the Saints for fear we should injure the merits of that All-sufficient Mediatour who ever liveth to make intercession for us By these few Instances which I have given and I might have given you many more it cannot but be evident to all serious unprejudiced persons that the Church of England keeps close to the Rule of the Scripture and like the Church of Ephesus in the Text is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets And because the Testimony of an Adversary has always been thought considerable I shall conclude this head with the Testimony of Pope Paul IV. who as Bishop Andrews Reports made this offer to Q. Elizabeth that if she would but own his Supremacy he would confirm our way of serving God in all things appertaining to his Worship in the very same manner as we now do Sure this Holy Father would never have confirmed the Religion of the Church of England had he not thought it consonant to the Doctrine of the Apostles But since he was pleased to offer his Confirmation we will requite his kindness by valuing our Church the more upon his Approbation Thus I have dispatcht the Three Generals I proposed I have shewn you That the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is the only Foundation upon which the True Church is built That this Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is sufficiently delivered to us in the Holy Scripture and that the Church of England like that of Ephesus in the Text is built upon this and no other foundation I shall now in the close leave a word or two of Exhortation with you and beseech you to continue stedfast in the Communion of the Church of England It is the chief design of St. Paul in this Epistle to keep the Ephesians stedfast in the Faith of Christ He desires them Chap. 3. not to faint and bows his knees to the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that he would strengthen them by his Spirit in the inner Man He bids them Chap. 4. have a care they were no more Children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive As he would not have them scared out of their Religion by fear of Persecution so neither would he have them gull'd of it by the sleights and subtleties of false Teachers It is therefore our duty when we have found the True Church to continue stedfast in the Communion of it We must resemble those best of Christians of whom it is said Acts 2. 42. That they continued stedfast in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship But alas how apt are men to barter away Religion for some worldly emolument How many are there who carry their Religion in their Pockets and stick not with Iudas to betray their Master for Thirty pieces of Silver unless perhaps their Covetousness be greater and a larger sum be requisite to patch up their broken Fortunes If Naamans Preferment be inconsistent with his Religion you must allow him a dispensation and permit him to bow in the House of Rimmon and to name no more rather than Pilate will hazard the loss of Caesars favour he will pronounce our Saviour innocent one hour and condemn him the next Thus Christ is made to truckle under the World and Gain will be Godliness in spight of the Bible But those that are sober and serious in the World they will

all sorts of Graces And Secondly Serious endeavours after the highest degrees of them First This growth in Grace denotes the getting all sorts of Graces It is a known Maxim in Philosophy aucto toto augetur quaelibet pars in the Natural Growth of Plants when the whole increaseth every part increaseth also and the Maxim holds in Spiritual Growths too For all the Faculties of the Soul are improved together and the New Creature must be adorned with all sorts of Vertue To this purpose is that saying of Cicero Omnes virtutes inter se nexae conjugataeque sunt all the Vertues saith he are linked and joyned together so that he that has one must have them all Hence we find Christ's Spouse in the Canticles compared to a pleasant Garden which is adorned with great variety of Flowers and perfum'd with all sorts of Fragrant Spices thus the Kings Daughter must be all Glorious within The good Christian that will grow in Grace must be possessed with all sorts of Virtues according to that exhortation our Apostle gives Chap. 1. 5. Give all diligence saith he and add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness and to Brotherly Kindness Charity All these Vertues must dwell together and that man hath none of them who has them not all in some degree and measure But Secondly This Growth in Grace as it denotes the getting all sorts of Vertues so it denotes our serious endeavours after the highest degrees of them As the growing Christian must add Vertue to Vertue and pile one Grace upon another so he must not sit down with some lower attainments but advance to the highest pitch and degree of every Grace I need not tell you that there are several degrees in every Grace and Vertue the number of which is variously reported by Learned Men. Aristotle that Prince of Philosophers reckons but eight Gregory the Great fifteen Iohannes Climachus doubles the number and makes them Thirty But these Great Men do all fall short of the truth for there cannot be fewer than infinite degrees in every Vertue seeing God Almighty possesses them all in infinite degrees of Perfection Now this is the Pattern which is proposed to the Christians imitation For as our Saviour speaks he must endeavour to be perfect even as his Heavenly Father is perfect Sure then he must endeavour to grow very high who is to grow as high as Heaven he must not be content with low attainments who is to imitate the infinite Perfections of the Divine Nature Thus the Righteous must hold on in his way and he that hath clean Hands must wax stronger and stronger according to the advice of St. Ierom it must be his constant study to grow in Grace as he grows in Years Like the Vine to which the Holy Ghost so frequently compares him he must know no other period of his growth than that of his Life and like Caleb must be active and vigorous even at eighty years of Age. The serious Christian still finds something that needs to be amended something also decayed he must be careful to repair and something not yet attained he must press hard after As the diligent Bee flies from Flower Flower that it may gather greater plenty and abundance of Hony so the serious Christian goes from Duty to Duty and from Ordinance to Ordinance out of a longing desire to gain higher degrees of Grace To this purpose is that Character the Psalmist gives of a Righteous Man Psal. 92. 12. c. The Righteous shall flourish like the Palm-Tree he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall still bring forth Fruit yea even in Old Age they shall be fat and flourishing What elegant and significant Expressions are these Here is not only mention of growing but of Flourishing too and here is Flourishing mentioned no less than three times and it is the flourishing not of an ordinary Tree but of a Palm tree which is famous for its Flourishing under the heaviest burthens Nay further it is flourishing like a Cedar and that not growing in a barren Wilderness but in Lebanon it self where the Best the Goodliest the Tallest Cedars grew Nor is he said only to Flourish in Boughs and Leaves but also in Fruit and that not for one year only but the Righteous Man is still bringing forth Fruit and that not only in the Years of his Youth or the beginning of Grace but in Old Age too What a Divine Climax what an Elegant Gradation is here used by the Holy Ghost to represent the continual growings of a Righteous Man in Vertue He is still climbing higher and higher till he climbs as high as Heaven Thus have I considered the Duty it self Grow in Grace And come now in the Second place Secondly to enquire what is that Degree or Stature of Grace a Christian must grow to before he can assure himself of Eternal Salvation I have shewn already that the degrees of Grace and Vertue are no less than Infinite so many indeed that the best of Christians may more easily endeavour after them than ever perfectly acquire or attain them But notwithstanding all this there are certain degrees of Grace which must be attained to before a Christian can have any comfortable assurance of his Eternal Salvation There is such a state of Holiness and Perfection he must grow to in this Life before he can have any evidence of his Title to a better Life Now for your better information in this important Point I shall shew you these two things First That there is a certain growth in Grace attainable in this World which is sufficient to assure us of Eternal Salvation Secondly What this saving growth in Grace imports First Let me shew you that there is a certain growth in Grace attainable in this World which is sufficient to assure us of Eternal Salvation Solomon tells us Prov. 4. 18. That the Path of the Iust is as the shining Light which shineth more and more unto the perfect Day There is therefore a perfect Day of Grace the Just Man may arrive at and this will receive farther light from those Elegant Expressions of our Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have saith he a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as to a Light shining in a Dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts It is plain from hence that the Day-Star of Grace doth arise in the Hearts of Believers in this Life such as will be sufficient to bring us to Heaven It is yet a clearer proof of this which you 'l find Ephes. 4. 11. where St. Paul tells us that Christ at his Ascention gave Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of the Church and the perfecting of