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A15726
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The ground of a Christians life Deliuered in a sermon at Harwood in Lancashire, the first day of December 1618. By Robert Worthington minister of Gods word at Acceington.
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Worthington, Robert, minister of Gods word at Acceington.
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1620
(1620)
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STC 25999; ESTC S103650
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35,929
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86
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as necessary to saluation or equalized with the law of God neither may they by their multitude obscure the glory of Christ in his ordinances but such lawes as are made vniustly or command vnlawfull things do binde neither in generall nor particular neither in themselues nor accidentally and therefore cannot be of faith Now the Church of Rome maketh Great difference betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church of England lawes and ordaineth constitutions not onely Extrafidem without faith but also contrafidem against faith and to bind the conscience in paine of mortall sinne laying grieuous burthens vpon mens shoulders heauie to be borne And thus farre in the third vse proceed we in order to the fourth Vse 4 In the fourth place it teacheth Gods Ministers to preach the Scriptures as in Gods ministers must preach Gods word 2. Tim. 4. 1. 2. respect of the necessity thereof all our actions being to be done of faith so also from the direction of the Apostle who saith to Timothy Preach the word Nay we haue the example of Christ who preached Moses and the Prophets himselfe The Scribe demanding the way to life Christ answereth by interrogation What Luke â—â— â—6 is written in the law how readest thou Againe he entring into a Synagogue at Nazareth vpoÌ„ the Sabboth it being his Luke 4. 17. ordinary custome by the testimony of the Euangelist and a booke of the Prophet Esaiah being deliuered him he openeth the booke and findeth it written thus The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me because he hath anointed me that I shold preach the Gospell to the poore c. The which he expoundeth and applyeth as plainly appeareth in the verses following yea he vrgeth it as a duty vpon the people for to heare Moses and the Prophets They haue Moses and the Prophets saith he Luke 16. 29. let them heare them Now what made way for Antichrist but leauing of the Scriptures From whence ariseth schisme heresie together with grosse idolatry The casting aside of the word is the high way to schisme heresie and grosse Idolatry but from ignorance in the Scriptures For opinion and sense may faile and erre when faith rightly grounded vpon the word cannot What hath caused so many sects to spring vp in the bosome of the Church as Donatists Familists Brownists Anabaptists but want of comparing Scripture with Scripture When men want indifferent â—ares and hearts their affections rather inclining to courses of security and liberty and their iudgements blinded through pride and selfe-loue how soone I say are such seduced drawne away and corrupted Therefore as it is a duty to search the Scriptures they being the ground of faith and pillar of truth so it behoueth the Lords embassadors to come to the people with not Thus say I but Thus saith the Lord. For what wise man will The word of God vpholdeth a ministers office and authority credit euery heare-say or what subiect wiâ—l yeeld respect to such an one as couÌ„terfeiteth the kings Embassador hauing neither his Maiesties Armes nor Seale I will not deny but it is a blessed thing to teach Gods truth from a sanctified spirit for who is able to direct in that mysticall doctrine of regeneration so well as he that is regenerate himselfe or what art is able to describe and teach like experience It was an infallible truth and grounded certenty sufficiently perswading the wise men that in Bethleem Mich. 5. 2. Matth 2. 9. was borne Christ the king of the Iewes when the prophecy of the Prophets and the conducting starre paralleled both directing vnto one and the same place As sure and credible will it be when Gods sacred Spirit in vs shall sympathise with Gods word and his Spirit make a sweet harmony in his Ministers his reuealed truth But if sense preposterously faile without the guide of faith then beware of ship wracke for Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne We see then as in a glasse the duty of all Gods embassadors for as we may not preach our selues but Christ Iesus the Lord so may we not deliuer a parcell of the Scriptures or diuulge them partially The true treasure and diuine Oracles of the Almighty require faithfulnesse for so ought stewards to be found faithfull Cor. 4. 2. Gods truth as it is so it must be taught The word of truth deserueth true diuision The whole word of God must be taught as also right application whereby the whole counsel of God may be reuealed to the Saints For oftentimes the want of comparing Scripture with Scripture and distinguishing of times produceth an Ataxie or confusion in the Churches of God To instance in some particulars and lamentable presidents The cauils and innouations of that Anabaptisticall Sect who say that the New Testament is sufficient to saluation therfore the Old vnnecessary and vnprofitable and they ground themselues vpon these Scriptures 2. Cor. 3. 6. and 14. Who 2. Cor. 3. 6. 14 16. hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giueth life Moses say they had a couering Anabaptists very proud and grosly ignorant which in Christ is taken away But the Apostle saith not that Moses is taken away but the veile is taken away For the Apostle speaketh of the illumination and conuersion of the Iewes to Christ as appeareth in the sixteenth verse Neuerthelesse when their hearts shall be turned to the Lord the veile shall be taken away Indeed the shadows and ceremonies must needes be taken away when the substance is come but Christ was not shadowed or typified in the moral law therfore that cannot vtterly be taken away Matt. 5. 17. 18. for his comming was not to abolish it but to fulfill it therefore the Old Testament is both necessary and profitable Furthermore what although the Apostle teach that the letter killeth but the There remaines good vse of the morall law both for repentaÌ„ce and life spirit giueth life doth he thereby any thing else but shew the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel namely that the one is able to do nothing without the other For the orgaÌ„ of the quickning Spirit cannot be properly said to be the Law but the Gospell since the Law hath no power to regenerate but the Gospell yet in regeneration and conuersation the Law hath it worke and vse and therefore cannot be abolished Another ground they haue in Matth. 17. 5. Christ say they by the command Matth. 17. 5. of the Father is onely to be heard but to heare Moses the Prophets of Christ is to heare Christ Besides it is the command of the Sonne himselfe who was equall with the Father They haue Moses Luke 16. 39. and the Prophets let them heare them Yea he telleth the Iewes that If they had beleeued Iohn 5. 47. Moses they would haue beleeued him for he wrote of him Againe
chuse rather to wander in the wildernesse of naked hope openly descrying and publishing that condemnation which is in the world spoken of by our Sauiour Iohn 3. 19. 20. This is the condemnation that light Ioh. 3. 19. 20. is come into the world and men loued darknesse rather then light because their deedes were eâ—ill for euery â—an that euill doth hateth the light neither commeth to light lest his deedes should be reprooued Others through the blindnesse of their vnderstanding and peruersnesse of their wills and affections account the He that knoweth not Gods day and worship knoweth not God Lords day but as the Scholler doth the Thursday onely a day of sport and pastime examining more their appâ—rell theâ—â— the day or their hearts as also their naturall and base companions more then the assembly of Saints in the Sanctuary Whence it commeth to passe that they neither prepare to nor take any delight in Gods publike worship The reason is because they ground not on faith being both ignorant of the mystery of the day wherein our chiefest happinesse is resembled as also being led by their owne sensualities and carnall appetites following rather the direction of their own wils then the guide of faith Thus as they are grounded vpon themselues so they remaine ignorant of Christ and secrets of the Gospell and for want of a sensible He that thirsteth not for knowledge hath no care to liâ—e well thirst and appetite vnto the word shall neuer be able to liue the life of faith or walke the way to euerlasting happinesse But let vs come to more close and vnwarrantable courses of men not grounded on this rocke of faith Aâ— first when we receiue the blessings of God not sanctified by the word and prayer whereas the Apostle teacheth 1. Timoth. 4. 4. that euery creature of God is good and nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued God is to be remembred in all his blessings with thankes-giuing Wherein is implyed the contrary that the creatures are not good vnto me without thankesgiuing the reason followeth for they are sanctified by the word of God and prayer and not sanctified without it Besides the examples in former times the poore maides of Ramath Zophim told Saul that 1. Sam. 9. 13. the people would eate no meate vntill the Prophet Samuel had blessed the sacrifice 1. Sam. 9. 13. Iohn 6. 11. Yea Christ himselfe did neuer eate meat but he practised this duty and the Apostle would eate no bread but first gaue thanks in the presence of them Acts 27. 35. all and commandeth it as a speciall dutie In all things giue thankes and addeth 1. Thess 5. 18. this reason for this is the will of God If these Scriptures and examples were well weighed there would not be such brutish receiuing of the creatures as there He that seeth God in the lesser blessing wil praise him for the greater commonly is Nay many that do coldly performe this duty if God euer enlighten them to see further the necessitie and excellencie of this duty they will not neglect to blesse the Lord for greater mercies they will I say be more carefull to performe and offer vp morning and euening Sacrifices It would be holden a very inhumanâ— and shamefull dealing to forget the kindnesses of men how vnnaturall then is it and intollerable to forget so many Learne to blesse God by the light of nature renewed mercies of the Lord He therefore that is without sobriety praier and thankesgiuing in the vse of Gods creatures plainly manifesteth that he neither by faith dependeth on God nor in faith receiueth his blessings but Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Secondly when men confesse their sinnes in generall and cry for pardon for them but they cannot credit these two things First that all thoughts words Pure actions are strained actions and actions must be strained through faith or else they will be impure Secondly that God forgiueth no more knowne sinnes then a man earnestly endeuoureth to forsake they being blotted Sin is forgiueÌ„ by God when it is mortified in vs. out of Gods register when they are dead in vs the power and vigor of them being extinguished and we in all things as ready to glorifie God as we would haue him to glorifie vs. But alas when prayers are not grounded vpon a liuely sense of sinne and Gods eternall vengeance due vnto them as also godly sorrow and faith in the promises how sodainly do men turne to their old vomite and filthy wallowing in the vncleannes of sinne causing sound iudgement and grounded reason to subscribe to peruerse Where there is not thesense of sin there cannot be the forsaking of sinne will and carnall affection preferring Ishmael before Isaac Esau before Iacob Zidkijah before Michaiah the Pharises before Christ custome before conscience tradition before the commandement Thus for want of diuine illumination as also a correspondencie betwixt their supplication and conuersation confession and affection their vngrounded prayers become a vaine lip-labour impure and abhominable in the eares of God Thirdly when men apparell themselues beyond their estate and aboue their degrees although God hath threatned to visite all such as weare strange attire Zeph. 1. 9. and hath granted grounds for our attire namely the presidence of the wise graue and godly of that degree we liue in Whatsoeuer things are pure honest and of Phil. 4. 8. good report saith the Apostle if there be any vertue or any praise thinke on these things which you haue both heard and seene in me But the wantons of our dayes turne their eyes from Gods booke and people fixing them vpon their owne fancies and backs of Iesabels imagining that if they be out of the fashion they be out of the world Hence it followeth that seruants attire themselues like their Masters Carters like Courtiers Yeomen like Gentlemen Schollers like Souldiers Thus vnseemely and vnwarrantably do men and women apparell themselues preferring the garments of corruption before the image of Christ oftentimes against iustice equitie and common honestie cutting their suites in another mans cloth being daily vagrants from the life of God and ground of faith But Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Fourthly when men liue vpon the sweate of other mens browes crushing the back of the diligent workman Such are wandring vagabonds prying busie-bodies These and such like sin against the second Table â—â—llish tale-bearers gamesters stage-players who sinfully transgresse the law of charity walking in the wayes of Balaam who loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse being without God and without Christ Fiftly when with offence and without edification we vse things of an indifferent nature whereas the Apostle telleth vs that in some cases and amongst some persons it is euill to eate with offence Rom. 14 2â— meaning to the weâ—ke not wilfull For the law of loue and spirit bindeth where the law of commandements bindeth not