Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	life_n	name_n	write_v	18,504	5	6.4426	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85667	An exposition continued upon the sixt, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, with useful observations thereupon. Delivered in severall lectures in London, By William Greenhill.	Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.	1649 (1649)	Wing G1854; Thomason E577_1; ESTC R206361	436,404	591

raiment white as the light Math. 17.2 It is not sufficient therefore to say this man was cloathed with linnen a white garment and therefore was an Angell To the 2d. That commands are unsuitable to Christ heare what Christ saith John 14.31 As the Father gave me commandement even so I doe Chap. 15.10 I have kept my Fathers commandements So Chap. 12.49.10.18 He received commands from his Father and kept them This was no disparagement to Christ as God he was equall with his Father as man himselfe saith the Father is greater then I John 14.28 Others by this one man understand the Lord Christ the Angell of the Covenant and those contend that in the letter here is meant an Angel and makes that Angel representative of Christ so that the difference is not much but I joyne with them that make this one man to be Christ and that 1. B cause hee is brought in as Mediator here with an adjunct of one-nesse as in 1 Tim. 2.5 One Mediatour c. the godly Jewes had no other Mediator 2ly Here are implyed the three offices of Christ 1. His Kingly office whereby hee rules and commands all creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is couch'd up in those words Among them or in the middest of them as King and Commander he appears in the midst of those Angels which had the destroying weapons in their hands He was their Generall and shewed himselfe in the midst of them Josh 5.14 15. He appeared to Joshuah with a drawn sword and told him he was Captain of the Lords boast whereupon Joshuah fell downe and worshipped which had been sinfull if it had beene an Angell not the Lord Generall of men and Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. His Priestly office implyed in his linnen cloathing the Heb. signifies flaxe especially white flaxe or silke which was us'd in holy vestures 1 Sam. 2.18 Samuel ministred to the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bissum Chald. Nat. Hist l. 19. c. 1. Vestes inde sacerdotibus Aegypti gratissimae That is with an ephod of fine fl●xe or silk which grew in Aegypt and was cal'd Shesh Ezek. 27.7 Gossipium by Plinie whereof he affirms were made garments for the Egyptian Priests who doubtlesse tooke it up from the Jewish Priests who were appointed by God to weare such garments Exod. 28.42 43. Levit. 6.10.16.4 Whereby was set out the innocency and purity should be in the Priests who were to intercede with God for the people In such a garment doth Christ appeare a sacerdotall ga●m●nt pointing out his holinesse innocency and Priestly office whereby he intercedes for sinners 3. His Propheticall office shadowed out by the Inkehorn he had by his side Is signator fuit omnium consensu Cristus Mediator Pareus in Rev. 7. Prophets were to declare the minde of God by speaking and writing to discover who were good who bad whose names were in the booke of life whose not and so Christ here would make known the mind of God and ma●k out those who were for deliverance and those were for destruction A writers Inkehorne The Sept. reads it a sapphirine girdle about his loines mistaking Sopher for Saphir some have it the Tables of a writer or table-Table-book Others te●me it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calamarium a case for pens we an Inkehorne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which containes the inke and hath the penne-case joyn'd with it Some taking it for a booke conceive Christ writ in the names of those should be spared or made knowne whose names were written already in this booke The Scripture mentions a booke of life Exod. 32. Psal 69. But that Christ declar'd out of this book the names of the inwritten is groundless we are to take it for an Inkhorn which notes Christ giving instructions to these Agents his observing recording of all things and his distinguishing betweene the precious and the vile and his readinesse to seale and instruct those that are the Lords Or it notes a manifesting the decrees of God touching Jerusalem It was Christ sate upon the Throne who spake to Ezekiel Quest and how could this one man among the Angels be Christ This is the only difficulty against this interpretation that the same person in the same vision should be represented diversly Christ having divers offices which cannot be typified or shadowed out by any one thing Answ it pleaseth him to represent himselfe variously to us in the same v●sion as in Rev. 5.1 There is one sits upon a Throne and this was Christ as appeares Chap. 1.18.21.6 he had a booke in his hand seal'd which none being able to open caused great weeping and v. 6. there is Christ represented as a Lamb who vers 7. came and took the book out of the hand of him that sate upon the Throne Here Christ is variously represented he sate in the Throne as God and held the book in his hand he tooke it as Mediator and opened it unto men Christ is the Priest the Sacr●fice and Altar but under a diverse consideration And so in this vision som●times Christ is represented as God sitting in his Throne sometime as a Prophet instructing Ezekiel sometimes as Mediator interceding for the Elect It 's not incongruous therefore to see the same person having severall offices and conveighing seve●all benefits to his Church represented in a v●sion severall wayes at the same time They went in and stood beside the brazen Altar The Scripture speaks of a golden Altar 1 King 7.22.7.48 and this was before the Oracle There was also a brazen Altar 1 Kings 8.64 which was for holocaust as the other for Incense and stood in the middest of the Court before the Temple but at this time it was remov'd and the Damascens Altar set in the place of it where the Idoll of Jealousie was honour'd Now these men came not to this idolatrous Altar but went to the brazen Altar which was neare though out of its place There they stood to receive answers they would not goe to the other where false worship was lest they should seeme to countenance it but to the other deserted despised altar to which the sacrifices belonged and where GOD gave them true answers There they stood which phrase implyes a readiness in whomsoever to heare receive and execute the commands of those they stand before If Levites stand before the Lord it imports a promptnesse in them to Minister unto the Lord Deut. 10.8 If servants 2 Kings 15.25 If great ones 2 Kings 8.9 stand before others it argues a pronenesse in them to hearken to what shal be given out and imposed upon them so here Obser 1. Elect Jewes under the law were saved by the Mediaterian work of Christ incarnate as we are under the Gospell Christ frequently appear'd as man intimating thereby his future incarnation and that that nature must concurr to the making up of his Mediatorship he did not mediate for them as

21.8 Thine hand shall finde out all thine enemies thy right hand shall finde out those that hate thee 9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thine anger 1 Sam 5.7 His hand is soar upon us Chap. 6.3 It shall be knowne why his hand is not remooved from you God had smitten them with the Emrods and that they call the hand of God the phrase here implyes that God will in some speciall manner punish these Prophets They shall not be in the assemblie of my people Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Montanus interprets in Secreto Va●ablus in arcano the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the instructing of my people they shall not Prophesie or preach unto them their liberty and power of speaking shall be taken from them French It s ne serout plus au conseil de mon peuple They shall be no more of the counsell of my people Castalio ut in meorum concilio non sint Junius In consilio populi mei one is with C. the other with S. That with C. Notes the companie of Gods people Pisc the other with S. Notes the counsells of that company some have it Iucaetu populi mei in the company of my people This differ●nce of interpreting the word arises from the severall significations of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a secret councell and the company of those who consult or counsell If we take it here for secret they shall not be in the secret of my people and so besides those mentioned the Chalde Paraphrast saith Non erunt in seoreto then the sense is they shall not know those secrets nor pertake of that good which I reserve for to make knowne and communicate to my people Oecolam The Targum hath it thus In occultis bonis quae reposita sunt populo non habebuntur They shall not be accounted among those secret good things which are laid up for my people Prophets were great mercies for people and God gave them out upon occasion but these should not be numbred amongst them they should be detected and have their reward This secret of Gods people is some choyce knowledge of God and his will beyond what is vulgarly knowne by men of the World Psal 25.14 The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him Prov. 3.32 His secret is with the righteous Micaiah knew the secret of the Lord touching Ahab which neither Zedekiah nor any other of the false Prophets knew 1 King 2.4 Mic. 3.7 The Lord revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets not to those are false and against him If we take is for assembly as the word is sometimes used in holy Writ as Jer. 6.11 I will powre out my fury upon the assemblies of young men Hence Sodalitium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Super congregationem juvenum then we must inquire what assemblies are meant There were two kind of Assemblies among the Jewes First An Assembly of Elders Psal 107.32 I will praise him in the Assembly of Elders these were the Magistrates and Senators that had authority and bare rule over the people it might be the Seventy or Sanedrim bemoshab Zekenim in cathedra seniorum Secondly An Assembly of Saints Psal 89.7 God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of Saints the Jewes were a holy people and when there were publique Congregations of them they were an Assembly of Saints To this Pradus applyes that in Psal 1 5. the ungodly shall not stand in judgment You may understand it of both Assemblies that these false Prophets should neither come amongst the Senators to sit in Councell there to consult about any matters of State or Church nor amongst the Saints they should have no communion with Gods people and this sense I like best for tbe Prophets came to Ecclesiastick meetings as appeares 2 Kings 23.2 The Prophets were present when Josiah read the Booke of the Covenant Jerem. 26.7 the Priests and Prophets heard Jeremiah in the House of the Lord. Neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel What this writing of the house of Israel was search must be made Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Scripture of the house of Israel they shall not be written by Scripture some understand the Canonicall Bookes of Moses and the Prophets and will have the sense to be that the prophesies of these false prophets should not be written in or among those Books but surely it was never in the thoughts of any true prophet that the lyes and vanities of false prophets should be joyned to sacred Writ What hath the Chaffe to doe with the Wheat We must look out some other meaning of these words When it pleased the Lord to bring his people out of Aegypt he commanded them to be numbred Numb 1.2 3. The names and number of all from twenty yeares old and upwards were to be taken and when they were numbred they were to give every man a ransome for his soule unto the Lord Exod. 30.12 In like manner when they came out of Babylon they were numbred as appeares Ezra 2. and 8. Chap. Nehem. 7. Where you have the number set downe Vers 66.67 the whole Congregation together was forty two thousand three hundred and threescore besides men and Maid servants seven thousand three hundred thirty seven and two hundred forty five Singing Men and Women The Catalogues in which the names of these were writ are judged to be the writings of the house of Israel by these the Tribes were knowne preserved distinct and those were not found in the writing were displaced Nehem 7.64 These sought their Register among those that were reckoned by Genealogy but it was not found therefore were they as polluted put from the Priesthood Isa 4.3 Every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem shall be called holy He speakes of great calamity a destruction which should be upon the Jewes and few should escape but he that was left and written among the living c. All those who came to Jerusalem from the Captivity and were Citizens thereof were written in some Book Catalogue or Register which was the writing of the house of Israel and was called also the Booke of life or of the living For upon the death of a man his name was razed out of this Booke or if he did any thing unworthy the name and right of a Citizen and then he was counted as a dead man The sense of these words you may hence then take up thus Viz. These false Prophets shall be reckoned amongst the dead not the living they shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israel when they come back to Jerusalem they shall be like trees puld up and never planted againe they shall be cut off and destroyed by some soare judgement In this sense some take those words of Moses Exod. 32.32 Blot me out of thy booke which thou

hast written take away my life thou are now wroth with thy people about to slay them Lord forgive them spare them else destroy me and blot my name out of the Book thou hast written as our practice is This sense I condemne not but something more some Interpreters finde in the words this Writing of the house of Israel they interpret the Book of life in which the names of all true Israelites were written Phil. 4.3 Whose names are in the Book of life Dan. 12 1. Every one that should be found written in the Booke Luke 10.20 there is mention of names written in Heaven Revel 13.8 It s cald the Lambs Book of life so Revel 21.27 Contrary to this is writing their names in the earth Jer. 17.13 Those depart from the Lord shall be written in the earth The meaning then of the words must be of this nature these false Prophets thinke themselves to be my servants that their names are in my Book they say the Lord hath sent them that they have my spirit doe declare my will and honour me much among my people and you thinke them also happy men that their names are written in Heaven that if any be saved they shall but they neither are nor shall be ever written in any Book accounted among my faithfull ones they are Hypocrites shall be discovered and discarded for ever In Psal 69.28 you have such an expression Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living and not be written in the Book of the righteous There were many who appeared to others to be written in the Booke of life but the Prophet prayes rhat the Lord would make it evident some way or other that they were not there Here the Scripture speakes Ad sensum opinionem hominum non ad veritatem rei God blots men out of the Book of life when he declares by some dealings of his with them that they are not accepted of him here Gods hand should be upon them they should not be among his people have communion with them or him in any Ordinance of his and this was evidence they were not in his Book in that they should not come into the Land of Canaan that they should not be written in the writing of the house of Israel Neither shall they enter into the Land of Israel This is the third particular judgement The Land of Israel hath many Eulogies in Scripture The Jewes were as dead men when they were in Babylon Ezek. 37.10.12 it s cal'd The Land of the living Psal 27.13 David had fainted but that he hoped to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living People that lived in other Lands were dead men they had deafe dumbe dead gods and deadly worship but the Jewes had the living God their God and lively worship Acts 7.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Land of uprightnesse Psal 143.10 Where were the best Lawes that ever Nation had A Land of delight for so the Hebrew is Dan. 11.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Land which was the glory of all Lands Ezek. 20.6 The Land of Immanuel Isa 8.8 Where Immanuel was promised borne lived preached wrought his miracles and shewed his glory into this Land must not they come they prophesied that within a few yeares all should returne into this Land but Ezekiel from the Lord tells them that after seventy yeares they shall not return into their Countrey nor enter into Heaven whereof this was a type Captivity was a little death and to be in a Land of dead ones was another death and never to enjoy the Land of the living nor the living God this was the sting of death It was lawfull for strangers to come into the L●nd of Israel 2 Chro. 2.17 there were an hundred fifty three thousand six hundred at once in the Land and yet these Prophets might not come in The Lord is against evill Prophets Obser 1. and that is a dreadfull thing There are severall things which makes God to be against them 1. They abuse his Name and Authority saying The Lord sent them Vers 6. If any man should abuse the Name of a Prince of Parliament and say they sent them to speake or doe any thing and they did not what injury were this unto them how would they take it much more is it a wrong to the Lord who is greater then they 2. Their Prophesies are lyes vanity the thoughts of their owne heads and conceptions of their owne hearts Vers 2 3 7. and so contrary to the truths of God 3. They prejudice the designe of God by the true Prophets By them the Lord made knowne his displeasure against the wayes of sinners convinced them of the evill of their doings and drew them to repentance Jer. 25.3 4 5. the Prophets sayd Turne from the evill of your doings and dwell in the Land but the false Prophets discredited them disparaged their prophesies and cryed peace 4 They deceived the people with their falshoods filled them with vaine hopes Ver. 6. and so strengthened in them their evill wayes and incouraged them to their owne destruction 5. They grieved the spirits of the godly they made their hearts ake as the false prophetesses did Vers 22. They made the hearts of the righteous sad 6. They were evill themselves Jer. 23.11 Both Prophet and Priest are prophane yea in my house have I found their wickednes saith the Lord they corrupted the worshippe of GOD with their inventions God had cause enough to be against them it is very sad yea dreadfull to have God against one I that know the secrets of all hearts I that am holy and hate all sin I that keep an exact account of all their wayes I that am infinitely just and must punish all wicked ones I that am infinitely powerfull and can destroy with an everlasting destruction I even I am against you Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us When God is for a man all is safe who ever attempts to hurt David had many against him Psal 118.10 All Nations compassed me about 12. They compassed me about like Bees they swarmed about him and had their stings ready thrust out to sting him to death but he had God with him for him and therefore saith Vers 14. The Lord is my strength and song and is become my salvation but had God been against David one of those Bees would have been his death who ever the Lord is against hath many enemies and few friends all in Heaven all in Earth are against that man 2 Those Prophets or people the Lord is against he puts forth his power to punish Behold I am against you and my hand shall be upon you Jer. 28.15 16 17. God was against that false Prophet Hananiah and his hand was quickly upon him Heare saith Jeremiah unto him the Lord hath not sent thee but thou makest this people trust in a lye therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will cast

to themselves of their own weaknesse sinfulnesse and unworthinesse Ezekiel fals down upon his face as unworthy to look upon the great and glorious God his own sins and infirmities made him hide his face the great wrath of God against his people made him tremble When Abraham parlied with the Lord being about to destroy Sodom he remembred that he was dust and ashes Gen. 18.27 God is terrible in judgment humility is the best posture an angry God can finde any in when wee lye prostrate at his feete he will not destroy us 3. Those are faithfull messengers of God will deprecate judgments when they are comming upon the people Ah Lord God wilt thou c. So did Moses that was faithfull in Gods house Exod. 32.11 12 13.32 where hee uses strong arguments to presse the Lord to forgive their sins to divert his wrath and to spare their lives or else to blot him out of his booke Joshuah and the Elders of Israel lie upon their faces put dust upon their heads and pray earnestly to God not to deliver them into the hands of the Amorites and to remember his great name Josh 7.6 7.9 Samuel thought it a sin for him not to pray for the people when they were in danger of destruction 1 Sam. 12.19.23 God forbid that I should sinne in ceasing to pray for you Hee had done it and would still doe it and if possible turne away the displeasure of the most High Jehoshaphat when a great Army was comming upon them and ready to over-runne all hee makes an effectuall prayer produceth strong arguments which you may read 2 Chron. 20.6 7 8 9 10 11 12. from Gods power in heaven and earth from the experience they had of him in driving our enemies and giving them the Land from the Sanctuary built for honour of his Name and his promise to heare prayer there from the spring of the enemies when they came out of Aegypt and their intentions now to cast them out of Gods possession and then concludes with a conquering argument of faith O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have not might against this great company that commeth against us neither know we what to doe but our eyes are upon thee He first overcame God by his mighty prayer and then overcame the enemies Jeremie seeing a great famine upon the people he sees upon God Ch. 14.7 8.9 O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us doe thou it for thy names sake O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land as a wayfaring man that turns aside to tarry for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save Yet thou O Lord art in the middest of us and we are called by thy name leave us not Doe not according to our sinnes but thy Name thou art the hope of Israel and it hath been thine office worke to save Israel why shouldst thou be a stranger as if thou hadst nothing to doe no right in us 4. Gods judgements puzzle even Prophets they see not into the equity and depths of them Now that all were slaine in the Temple the Citie and all in it ruining the Prophet is astonied and knows not what to make of it that wrath should be so fully powred upon Jerusalem that God would leave himselfe no people no place to be worshipped in frustrate the hopes of his people touching the promised seede and make void all promises thereabout and give up the holy land to prophane uncircumcised wretches this puzzl'd him There is something ever in Gods judgements which wee cannot reach and then because they proceede crosse to our wills expectations desires wee are ready to think hardly of them and boile in our spirits against heaven but we must remember Gods wayes are not ours he is ever righteous in his judgements though we see not the reason thereof Psal 36.6 Thy judgements are a great deepe Some referre it to providence thus mens sins are a deep sea of wickednesse yet Gods providence is a greater deepe which orders them sinners and all things Others take it literally Gods judgements in punishing sinnes is such a depth that no humane understanding can sound Our Prophet could not doe it neither the Apostles and therefore cryes out how unsearcheable are his judgements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When States Churches or persons suffer hard things let us not thinke them wrong'd they suffer not more then they deserve no nor so much Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us lesse then our iniquities VESS 9 10. Then said he unto me the iniquity of the house of Israel Judah is exceeding great and the land is full of blood and the City full of perversnesse for they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not And as for me also mine eye shall not spare neither will I have pitty but I will recompence their way upon their head THe Prophet having pressed the Lord with many strong arguments to spare Jermsalem In these verses he hath an answer from God and the reasons thereof The answer is negative verse 10. Mine eye shall not spare neither c. The reasons of this answer are in the ninth verse which are strong and weighty 1. A generall reason The iniquity of the house of Israel c. 2. Particular ones which are three 1. The land is full of blood 2. The City is full of perversenesse 3. Atheisme a ground of all the former reasons For they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth The iniquity of the house of Israel By house of Israel some understand those that had be taken themselves from the ten Tribes to those of Judah whereof was spoken Chap. 4.4 But I conceive we may interpret it of the 10 Tribes whose sins contribut●d much to the finall destruction of all Though they were gone into captivity yet their sins sta●d behind them and had defil'd the whole land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is exceeding great The Hebrews when they would make a thing superlative expresse it by gemination of the word and so it s here their iniquity is great in valde valde the vulgar hath it nimis valde it 's come to the height and scarcely admits of more degrees A like phrase you have in Gen. 26.13 He grew untill he became very great So Matth. 2.10 and 2 Cor. 4.17 there is duplication of the word to set out the greatnesse of the thing The Land is full of blood Hebrew is bloods bloody sins Isa 1.15 Their hands were full of blood And Manasses fill'd Jerusalem with blood 2 Kings 21.16 And not onely Kings did it but the Prophets and Priests shed the blood of the just in the middest of Jerusalem their preaching prophecying counsels and discourses tended that way and therefore they are said to shed their blood So Athaliah slew all the Royall seed 2 Kings 11.1

Ordinances are used promiscuously And here by them I conceive is ment the whose Law of God revealed This walking in his statutes is set out in holy writ by such expressions as these Viz. Walking after the Lord. Deut. 13.4 Walking before God 1 Kings 9.4 Walking in the light of the Lord. Isa 2.5 Walking in the truth John Epist 3. Vers 4. Walking in the name of the Lord Micah 4.5 Walking according to rule Gal. 6.16 And Walking with God Gen. 6.9 Keepe mine Ordinances Keeping imports 1. Remembring Luke 2.51 Mary kept all these sayings in her heart 2. Holding fast 2 Tim. 1.14 The good thing committed to thee keep that is hold fast here we must take in both remembering and holding fast but in order to doeing men may know remember and hold fast the mind of God but not doe the same Deut. 5.1 Heare O Israel the statutes and Judgements which I speake in your eares this day and keepe and doe them the Hebrew is keepe to doe them Doe them Doing implies 1. The performing and practice of them Psal 15.5 Facere ●st exacte custodire decenter quicquam operari He that doth these things shall never be moved 2. Fullfilling of things required 1 Kings 5.8 Saith Hiram to Solomon I will doe all thy desire that is fullfill thy desire both may be understood here not simply to doe but to doe exactly Obser 1. The end of Gods giving us temporall and spirituall mercies is that we should be obedient unto him He gathered them out of Babylon planted them in Canaan gives them onenesse of heart newnesse of spirit c. And why that they might walke in his statutes and keepe his Ordinances God hireth us with mercies to doe his will Psal 105.43.44.45 He brought forth his People with joy and his chosen with gladnesse and gave them the Lands of the Heathen and they inheritied the labour of the People that they might observe his statutes and keepe his Law 2 Sam. 12.7.8.9 David was obliged by Gods bountie to obedience why did God so much for his Vineyard Isa 5.2 but that it might bring forth Grapes the end of all mercies and meanes offorded us were to make it fruitfull in obedience All in Gods works in his word are so many inducements to obedience God hath given us the Earth and fullnesse of it and the end is to provoke us thereby to walke in his statutes He hath given us his good word choyce O●dinances Heavenly Councells pretious promises profitable commands holy examples and his end in all these is to quicken us up to obedience It s the end of Election 1 Pet. 1.2 It s the end of Redemption Luke 1.74.75 It s the end of our new Creation Ephes 2.10 Paul beseeches the Romans By the mercies of God to present their Bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God Our mercies should prevaile with us we are Planted in a good Land we have the dewes of Heaven and fatnesse of the Earth God hath done great things amongst us and for us we have had wonderfull Deliverances and shall not we be incouraged thereby to walke in the statutes of our God Deut. 11.7.8 Your eyes have seene all the great Acts of the Lord which he did therefore shall you keepe all the Commandements which I command you this day Let the great things we have seen and heard put us upon obeying the Lord and so obeying him that our obedience may be 1. Generall God requires you should walke in all his wayes Deut. 10.12 2. Heartie yea with the whole heart Deut. 26.16 3. Constant Deut. 4.9 Gal. 6.9 4. Willing chearfull Phil. 2.14 Deut. 28.47 5. With strength and courage Josh 23.6 If we doe not walk in the statutes of the Lord and keepe his commands we know not God 1. John 2.3.4 We doe not love God 1 Joh. 5.3 Nor Christ Joh. 14.15 Our prayers will be unfruitfull and succeslesse 1 John 3.22 2. Note that walking in Gods statutes keeping his Ordinances and doing his will doe evidence the worke of grace in the heart and what the man is God would give them onenesse of heart newnesse and tendernesse of spirit that they might walk keepe doe c. If then they did so this declared what was within Luke 1.6 Zacharie and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse their w●lking witnessed their righteousnesse see 1 John 3.10 2 Chap. 29. Luke 6.44 What ever the fruit is such is the Tree Figgs doe not grow upon thornes nor Grapes upon brambles where you finde Grapes it is a Vine and not onely doth God and Christ know them but Mat. 7.16 you shall know them by their Fruits not by their leaves but their fruits not some few actions but by a dayly observat●●n of them sometimes delay and times alwayes attention is required to discerne them 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godlinesse c. this may be discerned for vers 9. Their folly shall be manifest to all men James 2.18 Works ●re the glasse picture Child of faith Adam begat a Sonne after his Image and faith begets Children after its owne Image Abrahams offering of his Sonne dec●a●ed his faith Heb. 11.17 Works justifie faith and faith justifies the man Some doubt whether works will prove grace whether sanctification will evidence justification But John tells us there is a witnesse of Water as well as of blood and of the spirit 1 Joh. 5.8 if the Law written in Bookes may be knowne and the sense of it evidenced by Commentaries surely the Law written in the heart may be knowne and evidenced by works 3. Grace in the heart will appeare in the life if there be a new spirit a tender heart there will be walking in the Statutes A new spirit cannot be imprisoned within but it will breake out into action when the seed is sowne in good ground it will not lye long under ground but spring forth Marke 4.20 Grace is light and that will manifest it selfe vers 21.22 God hath determined that hidden things shall bee manifested grace cannot alwayes be hid 1 Pet. 2.9 Such vertue will out 1 Thes 1.5.6.7 The Coritnhians were the Epistle of Paul written in his heart read and knowne of all men The Romans faith was spoken of throughout the World Rom. 1.8 That was in all the Churches of the World So their obedience Chap. 16.19 There be diverse things cannot be hidden as the light fire life the wind a spring and of this nature is grace which is all those its light and fire John was a burning and shining light Its life Luke 15.24 It s the wind of the spirit Cant. 4.16 Joh. 3.8 It s a Spring Joh. 7.38 A good Tree cannot bring forth evill fruit and it cannot but bring forth good fruit Acts 4.20 We cannot but speake the things we have heard and seene Paul when converted presently said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe He would not be idle