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book_n	canonical_a	holy_a	scripture_n	5,721	5	6.0092	4	true

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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

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

Excellent Words of Solomon that Solomon who was once a Famous and Renowned King of Israel and who besides those Advantages of Education which he received from the pious Care of his Father King David was also inspired with Wisdom from on high and endued with such Understanding and Largeness of Heart as was commensurate to the Sand of the boundless Ocean Besides what has hitherto been said concerning the excellency of Proverbs in general and these of Solomon in particular there is one Observation still behind which will yet farther recommend the Text to your best Attention For of all those three Thousand Proverbs which are Recorded as the products of Solomon's Wisdom there is not any one the Holy Ghost has thought fit to repeat so often or inculcate more frequently than this of the Text for it is repeated thrice in this one Chapter besides what it is in other places of this Book of Proverbs In all which places the Wise man gives us to understand that the wonderful Providence of God does rule and govern all the Actions of Men. The Metaphor of a Way which is here used in the Text is known in Scripture to denote all the Actions of Men whether good or evil And according to this latitude the Metaphor here used is understood variously by Divines St. Cyprian refers it to the good Actions of Men and accordingly interprets the Text thus Cor viri cogitet justa ut à Deo dirigantur gressus ejus Let the Heart of Man saith he think righteous things that so his goings may be directed by the Lord. But tho' this be a very great Truth namely that Good Actions are govern'd and directed by the Providence of God yet others rather understand the Text of mens wicked Actions for the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render Deviseth is for the most part used in a bad sense and what we render Man is Adam in the Original which according to Luther's known Observation is seldom taken in a good sense So that the words taken in this limited and restrained sense will run thus A mans Heart i.e. the Heart of Adam or of a wicked Man deviseeh and contriveth his wicked ways but the Lord by his wonderful Providence governeth and directeth all his steps The Heathen may rage as the Psalmist speaks and the People devise vain things yet he that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn the Lord shall have them in derision God as he is Omniscient can easily know all the wicked devices of sinful Men and as he is Omnipotent he can as easily over-rule them and direct them so as may be most for his own Glory and the good of his People God He is no idle Spectator in this vast Theatre of the World but doth continually as the Psalmist speaks whatsoever pleaseth him both in Heaven and in Earth Indeed he has made Man a free Agent and therefore as the Son of Sirach speaks He leaves him in the Counsel of his own hand and allows him to act according to the liberty of his Will But then as the Wise Rector and Almighty Governor of the Universe He over-sees and over-rules all the Actions and Devices of wicked Men so that such as will not do him true and laudable service by obeying the known Will of his Precept are forced to obey the secret Will of his Providence and are made subservient to his Everlasting Counsels Thus tho' the Heart a of wicked man deviseth his wicked ways yet the Lord governeth and directeth all his steps For the fuller opening of which Words I design to confine my present discourse to the discovering of these two things First How the over-ruling Providence of God is imployed about sin and wickedness whilst it is but in fieri or the Heart of Man is but yet devising it And Secondly How it governs and directs sin in facto esse when sin is brought forth into act And First Of the First how Gods over-ruling Providence is imployed about sin whilst it is yet but in fieri whilst the Heart of Man is yet but contriving and devising it And this will appear in some measure from these following Considerations 1st God's Providence orders and directs sin and wickedness to such objects as he thinks fit It is a true saying of Hugo de Sancto Victo i.e. Deus non dat malis voluntatibus corruptionem sed tantum ordinem God saith he never infuses any corruption or wickedness into the Wills of Men but only gives Order and Direction to their Wicked Actions All the preparations and contrivances of sin are from the depraved hearts of Men the ordering of them to particular and suitable objects from the good providence of God As the Huntsman in Bellarmines comparison holds the Hound in a Slip and suffers him only to run at such Game as he best liketh So God keeps a constant Watch upon the Wicked he puts his Hook in their Nose and his Bridle in their Lips and suffers not their Rage to break forth but only on such persons as he thinks fit We know Gods Providence extended it self to the very Swine and would not suffer Satan to enter into them without his particular Warrant and sure then we need not doubt but this Providence of God is more eminently concerned about Man whom he was pleased to make after his own Image and likeness God does therefore set a Guard upon the malice of Satan and his Instruments nor can it break forth but as he permits it sometimes on his Enemies for their destruction and sometimes on his own People for their chastisement A proof of the latter we have Isa. 10. 5 6 7. at the 5th Verse Sennacherib King of Assyria is called the Rod of God's Anger and the Staff of his Indignation which metaphorical expressions import thus much that Men are but Instruments in the Hands of Gods Providence and must expect the direction of a superiour Cause Now this Assyrian this Sennacharib is said to be sent and directed against Israel an hypocritical Nation and now become the People of God's Wrath. And at the 7th Verse we find that this Staff of Gods Indignation was more in the Hand than in the Heart of this proud Assyrian Howbeit saith God he meaneth not so neither doth his Heart think so but it is in his Heart to destroy and to cut off Nations not a few There was no need God should instil any wickedness into the Heart of Sennach arib who is here in the Prophet called the Assyrian it seems it was full enough and too full before Berosus an Antient Historian has left his Character of him Sennacherib qui apud Assyrios regnabat omnem Asiam Aegyptum bello infestabat Sennacherib saith he who was King of the Assyrians vexed and insested all Asia and Aegypt with Bloody Wars Ye see the Head and Heart of this Assyrian were full enough of devices how to satisfie his Ambition and raise his Empire on the ruins of