Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	open_v	seal_n	seal_v	1,844	5	9.6479	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60356	A treatise of growth in grace in sundry sermons / preached by that lately eminent servant of Jesus Christ, Samuel Slater ...	Slater, Samuel, d. 1704.	1671 (1671)	Wing S3977; ESTC R38255	208,159	341

to be known concerning Christ that this Word and Mystery which is given of the Father to Christ his ear hath been opened to listen to it most attent upon it according to that expression in Psal. 40. Sacrifice and Offerings thou would'st not Christ's ear was not much attent upon that Sacrifice and offerings thou would'st not But mine ear hast thou opened Thou hast opened mine ear to another Doctrine to another Word which concerns the salvation of souls by a sacrifice that must be offered up by me this mine ear is open to And so you have it in Isa. 50. The Prophet there speaks in the person of Christ he wakeneth morning by morning and saith he he makeneth mine ear to hear as the Learned The Lord God hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious The Father gives the word delivers it him and the ear of the Son our Mediator is open to him 3. You are to know concerning Christ that this Word and Doctrine which is the subject matter of our Preaching and your Hearing as it is given to Christ by the Father and as his ear is open to it so it comes with all delight and complacency into his heart as you shall find in Psal. 40. First he saith Thou hast opened mine ear and not only so Thou hast bored mine ear and not only so but O Father thy Law is in mine heart and I delight to do thy will O this word that thou hast given me it 's the joy of my heart it 's the rejoycing of my soul that there should be the contrivance of such a word given to me and intrusted with me mine ear hears it as a most melodious sound my heart entertains it O my God thy Law is in my heart O it s the joy and rejoycing of my heart to think that ever thou should'st trust me with such a Doctrine as this 4. Consider that this word the Word and Doctrine of the Father thus given to Christ unto which his ear was opened and to which his heart gave such joyful entertainment to This Word and Doctrine Christ he comes to be commissioned from the Father to Preach and to make it known He hath not only an ear to hear it and a heart to imbrace it but he must have likewise a mouth opened to publish and proclaim it and this he is commissioned to This is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus that he is commissioned of God to make a solomn publication and promulgation of this Word that it may be made known to the World And therefore you have it in Isa. 50. The Lord hath given me not only to hear as the Learned but to speak as the Learned First he hath the ear of the Learned to hearken to it and then it 's exprest that he hath the tongue of the Learned that he may be able to speak a word in season to a weary soul. This is the commission that God hath given him that he should Preach and make this everlasting Gospel this word that comes out of the Father that he should make it known to the World and the truth is Brethren this that I say is of a truth to be known and acknowledged of us That Preaching work the Preaching of the everlasting Gospel and word of Reconciliation it is more Christs work than the work of any man in the World True it is the base beggerly World and the imbased spirits of the people in the World they look upon Preaching-work as a poor low mean service and look upon those that are imployed about it as persons that are little to be regarded And this is the good entertainment that the Ministers of Christ and of the Gospel have ever had in the World Generally they look upon a Preacher and upon a Preachers work as a poor low piece of service the person mean and his imployment little to be regarded I but if matters were well known this would be apprehended that the preaching of the Word is most properly the work of Christ himself He that is the great Mediator He that was in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God took upon him the form of a servant and he was pleased to accept of a commission from his Father to be a Preacher and to preach the everlasting Gospel As soon as he had suffered and was risen again he came and preached to the World as he did to his Disciples before his Resurrection and so likewise before his sufferings He came with commission from the Father to preach the Word which was given him out of the bosome of the Father That Word which is the subject matter of our Preaching and your Hearing it is the word which Jesus Christ is ingaged to preach and publish and make known to the World and I say again it is more Christ's work than it is the work of any man in the World and those that are called out to this service they are called out to the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. 5. And then add this further that this Lord Jesus Christ he hath that interest in the Father which none in all the World hath besides to the purpose of fetching out whatsoever there is of further Mystery and of discovery to be made concerning the Counsel of God the Word the Doctrine the Eternal Counsel which lay hid in the breast and bosome of God from all Eternity that Counsel that Word and Doctrine which hath so much of lustre in it Christ hath this priviledge above all creatures in Heaven and Earth above Angels Saints glorified in Heaven militant on Earth Christ hath this priviledge above them all to fetch out out of the Fathers treasury that which no Angel nor Saint in Heaven or Earth hath the priviledge to meddle withal Christ hath obtained this of the Father he hath this interest in the heart of the Father that he may with boldness come and take out whatsoever there is of secret Counsel in the Fathers bosome that concerns the Church of God to the end of the World He may be bold to come and challenge this as his priviledge Father if there be any secret yet undiscovered to the World I claim the priviledge to be acquainted with it and to have the discovery of it and to make it known unto the World This is the priviledge belongs to Christ. As now to give an Instance in Rev. 5. where you find there mention made of a Book in the right hand of him that sate on the Throne a Book written within and without and on the back-side sealed with seven seals a book full of Mysterie but a closed book nay a sealed book nay sealed with seven seals Hereupon the Proclamation is made with a loud voice by an Angel Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof Here 's a book full of Mysterie and matters of high concernment to the Church of God to the end of the World Who is worthy

in heaven or earth to take this book out of the right hand of him that sits upon the Throne The Proclamation is made and the account is given Thus no man in heaven or earth nor under the earth was able to open the book nor look thereon not so much as to look upon it This goes to the heart of Iohn a great Favourite of Christ a dear Servant of God he for his part is astonisht at it and falls a weeping bitterly That there should be none found worthy to open the book Mark what follows One of the Elders said unto me weep not behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof and he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sate upon the Throne He came and took the book Here was the priviledge of Christ above Angels and glorified Saints or any in heaven and earth there was such a part of the counsel of God which was hid in his breast bosom that none durst venture upon for to make a search into The Lion of the tribe of Iudah the Lord Jesus the Lamb that was slain he was worthy and so they come with their acclamations afterwards they fall down before the Lamb having Harps and golden Vials and they sing a new song worthy worthy is the Lamb that was slain thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof And then they break out into magnifying and praising of God Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing and the four beasts said Amen and the four and twenty Elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever Why now this is to be known concerning our Lord Jesus Christ he hath this priviledge to take the book out of the hand to go into the bosom of the Father to open the cabinet of the Fathers most secret counsel he hath this priviledge above all creatures in heaven or in earth This is to be known concerning Christ. 6. Yet further This Word and Doctrine which is the subject matter of our preaching and your hearing it is such a Doctrine as Christ is marvellously pleased with the wise judicious publication and preaching of it and with the humble attention upon it and therefore Christ is perfect and he hath promised to be present to the end of the World in his Churches and in his Congregations and with his Ministry and with his under Preachers For as I said before preaching work is principally his Christ is the great Preacher and all that are imployed in the work they are but under him and they do his work principally he is present with them observant of them he hath promised to give his assistance to them and to take knowledge of all discouragements that they meet with as we see in the case of Paul When Paul was upon his preaching vvork he meets vvith very hard usage the Lord appears to him and doth as it were clap him upon the shoulder and saith Be of good cheer Paul Thou hast testified of me here at Ierusalem and in such and such a place I will stand by thee and none shall hurt thee O Christ is present with his servants and he delights to see his work graciously and judiciously managed and to see his People that attend upon him to give heed to his Doctrine The Lord Jesus he takes Knowledge how his work is entertained how it s preached and heard and how people behave themselves under the dispensations of it Why now good now beloved consider this These things are the things that we are to know concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. Now if this were well considered wold it not contribute exceedinly to the promoting of preaching and of hearing work Those that are called out to this ministration O if they had but the well digested Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ would not this spirit them and make them to look to the cause they manage how they manage this trust that is committed to them from Christ and how they deal with this blessed Doctrine that came out of the bosom of the Father and if you did but consider that you come to hear the Word that is given of the Father to Christ which is in the heart of Christ and which he ingages himself to give new life unto and how he takes notice what entertainment his Word hath c. If you did but know this certainly there would be other manner of hearing than ordinarily there is Thus now I have spoken concerning that I shall now go on and let you know That by growing in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Believers they come to be exceedingly advanced As for the other Services that I have been speaking of as Gospel-Duties in Prayer and Praising God in Preaching and Hearing the everlasting Word that came out of the bosom of the Father So by the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we come to be exceedingly advantaged for that great work of mortification and of self-denial To joyn these two together Self-mortifying work Self-denying work Alas Brethren how hardly are we brought to these Services And when we set upon them alas how aukward and how untowardly do we apply to the management of it And why Alas because we are so deficient in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ were there a well improved Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Did you but know what a self-denying person he was and how justly be may require self-denying at the hands of his People If we did but consider that this Jesus Christ he was from Eternity God with God he might have lain warm in the bosom of his Father in the dear and blessed bosom of his Father he might have lain there and delitiated himself and kept out of all the storms and tempests of the World and might have enjoyed himself with sweetest delight in his Fathers bosom O what a self-denying Christ was here That he should come and leave his Father's bosom and be content to expose himself to the difficulties and hardships of the World to undergo storms and tempests Mark what the Apostle speaks in Rom. 15. Let every one of us please his neighbour c. For saith he even Christ pleased not himself He did not set his heart upon pleasing himself but that he might please his God and profit his People here below even Christ saith he pleased not himself O a self-denying Christ and if this were well known it would promote self-denying work in us And then sin-mortifying work O we are hardly brought to it to wound and slay our corruptions and to be ever and non digging down our Walls and ever and anon to be boring in the sides of this or that corruption This is his hard work to us but had we