Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A44489
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The best exercise for Christians in the worst times in order to their security against prophaness and apostacy : good and useful to be consider'd ... / proposed to consideration by J.H. ...
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Horn, John, 1614-1676.
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1671
(1671)
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Wing H2793; ESTC R34470
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179,378
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328
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it may be said of it as in Jer. 17.12 A glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary Glorious from the beginning or foundation of it from Christ who is the the beginning of the Creation especially of the new Creation of God Rev. 3.14 It hath all its glory and beauty in and from his beauty and comliness put upon it as it is said in Ezek. 16.14.15 and both these last mentioned fruits and consequents of Gods dwelling in and loving his people are spoken of Psal 132.13 14. c. where under the name of Sion it is thus spoken of the Church of God The Lord hath chosen Sion He hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it wherein is implied both his love of it and dwelling in it and then follow the benefits thereof I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread There 's his bounty and liberality as the great house keeper in or amongst them I will also clothe her Priests with Salvation with Christ the Salvation of God and his virtue and efficacie in and with them for saving others and her Saints shall shout aloud for joy there 's his adorning her as also that which is the result of them all her exceeding joy and gladness yea 4. Honour and Dignity hence also accrews to them as his house and habitation beloved by him ver 17. There will he make the horn of David to bud that is the Kingdom and power of David or the Son of David Christ as to his power and Kingdom shall there spring forth and there shall be a lamp or light for his Anointed It is an honor for an house to be the Palace of the Prince and to a City to be the City of some great King this honor have the Saints by being Gods house City built up for him and inhabited by him whence also it is called the City of God the new Jerusalem as well as the house and Temple of God holy and honourable by its relation to him and his presence in it such the motives to this building up our selves on our most holy faith and to that purpose praying to God to help us therein 2. The incouragements to and in it are divers But I shall take notice especially of these in the Text viz. 1. That it is the holy yea the most holy faith that we are called to and built upon It s a right and good foundation so strong and steady that nothing can remove it therefore what is thereon built cannot be overthrown by any force or violence that may come against it that 's one incouragement in building to build on and go on in it with courage and cheerfulness when we know the foundation is so well laid so strong and steady that it cannot be moved and that it will keep up the building from falling if well laid upon it and cemented to it as it is a great discouragement and may weaken the hands to suspect the foundation not good and firm but here 's no cause to doubt of that The foundation of God stands firm having this Seal the Lord knows them that are his c. 2 Tim. 2.19 we may go on boldly to believe on him and to exercise faith and incourage our hearts in hope from the consideration of him For he that believeth and hopeth in him shall not be ashamed because he is a precious corner-stone a sure foundation Isa 28.16 His person is so great and honourable none may compare with him we cannot doubt his power and ability to save us his graciousness with his Father in all his addresses to him on our behalf to him because he is his only begotten Son yea and because he being such an one hath perfectly obeyed him and offered up himself in Sacrifice to him through the eternal Spirit wherein he hath so pleased God his Father made such an atonement for our sins obtained such a Redemption such forgiveness of sins is so powerful an High-Priest in the vertues of it with God for us and is so faithful and so merciful to us and what he hath in obeying his Father for us and minding our interest to the Death the Death of the Cross is so full of vertue and he 's so full of blessing upon the account thereof and so able and alsufficient to confer it upon us to the saving us from all evil and satisfying us with all good that there is great yea most perfect reason and ground for us to look too and close with him believe in him come to and rest upon him and so to go on listening to and obeying him and holding fast the profession of our Faith concerning him There cannot be a better surer and fuller foundation for us to build on no Rock like him our God none so able to save us none beside him provided for us and given to us 2. Yea He is not only the most sure foundation so perfect as nothing can be added to him to make him more sure and firm and so to add firmness to us from him but also the most holy most consecrated divine acceptable to God known and approved and beloved of God so holy as that he by and through the knowledge of himself in this Doctrine that sets him forth is most meet and fit to infuse holiness into us and devote us to God and make us to be owned and approved of also by him and to be delighted in and inhabited of him We have all the incouragement therefore here to build that a foundation can possibly give us we cannot have a surer stronger more blessed ground than this is therefore build we up our selves here on your most holy faith 3. Yea this also is a great incouragement to us that we have nothing to doe but to build up our selves on it we have not the foundation to lay a ransome for our Souls and Sacrifice to make atonement for our sins to get or seek for for our selves a Saviour to provide or procure it for us noâ— all things of that nature are done to our hands The dinner is prepared the oxen and fatlings are slain and all things are ready for our entertainment and nourishment the ransome is found out and given and accepted the Lamb for a burnt offering provided and offered up in sacrifice and accepted peace is made righteousness is wrought and Redemption even eternal Redemption is obtained for us yea all things pertaining to life and Godliness made ready and provided for us ready to be given us we have a Saviour and that a mighty and merciful one appointed and anointed for us perfectly furnished with all things that may render him every way able and sufficient to save us to the utmost able and furnished with the fulness of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding to teach us shew us the way to life Yea he is so become a quickning Spirit as
to the Saints preached by the holy Apostles and Prophets and witnessed to by the holy Spirit and so by the holy God who bare witness to the Preachers of it both with Signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost Heb. 24. is a holy pure clean Word The Word of the Lord as the Gospel of Jesus Ghrist as preached by the Apostles is often called as in Acts 6 2 7. and 8.25 and 12.24 and 13.5 7 12 44 46 49. is pure as Silver seven times tryed in the fire Psal 12.6 No dross or mixture in it it is not yea and nay but yea yea or yea and Amen as in 2 Cor. 1.18 19. As God is true our word toward you was not yea and nay for the Son of God Jesus Christ who was preached among you by us was not yea and nay but in him was yea for all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us The Apostles did speak in simplicity and sincerity what they had heard and received from God and Christ and did not as the false Apostles sophisticate and corrupt the Word of God as the Apostle also saith 2 Cor. 2.17 But as in sincerity and as of God they spake in Christ in the sight of God Even as Jesus Christ himself the matter and subject of their word the faith or foundation of faith the object to be closed with and rested or built upon is the holy One the holy One of Israel and so is frequently stiled as Acts 3.14 Ye denyed the holy One and the just So 1 John 2.20 Ye have an Vnction from the holy One and ye know all things And Heb. 7.26 He is holy harmless undefiled c. a spotless one a Lamb without blemish his nature and life and death and sacrifice and person altogether blameless sinless and undefiled even so the Doctrine of the Apostles concerning him was pure and clean too like to pure water No soil or mud in it Yea and 2. It was and is set apart separated and devoted to God and for his glory to be the foundation ground and way of our believing and so becoming an holy habitation and people for God Jesus Christ the main matter and subject treated of in the Gospel is in that sense holy to God chosen by him separated and set apart for him to be his salvation to the ends of the earth the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world his righteous Servant in whose hand his pleasure shall prosper his Elect in whom his Soul delighteth who hath sanctified himself and given up himself to him to do his will in all things to be his Prophet to declare his mind and bring forth judgment to the Gentiles and light to the people to be his High-Priest as it is said The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest to me for ever after the order of Melchisedeck Psal 110 3 4. to make atonement for the sins of the people offer up their gifts and sacrifices and make intercession for all that come to God by him Heb. 2.17 and 5.1 and 7.25 and bless them in his Name Heb. 7.6 7. His King whom he hath set upon his holy hill of Sion Psal 2.6 7. being wholly holy unto God to do his pleasure in his presence for men and from him to and with men Rom. 6.10 his Foundation namely that he hath lay in Sion to be the foundation and corner-stone of his holy building an habitation for his Holiness and glory by vertue of whom it is that the whole building becomes an holy House to God and an habitation separated unto him to dwell in by his Spirit as Ephes 2.20 21. And so the Doctrine or Faith concerning him is holy separated and set apart for Gods use for drawing men into the knowledg and faith of Christ and so to himself by and through him and therefore it is called The power of God to salvation to every one that believes Rom. 1.16 The Medium that he made choice of for saving those that believe it and so through it believe in him 1 Cor. 1.21 so that in this respect too it is holy As also 3. In respect of the effect and fruit of it it makes holy those that receive it and are united with it and built upon it So Jesus Christ the main matter and subject of it the foundation properly laid in it and by it for men to believe in and be built on is not only holy in himself sinless and set apart for God but also is made of God holiness to us the cause of holiness to us He in and by vertue of whom we are holy to God 1 Cor. 1.30 He being the holy Temple and habitation of God makes us so too in being united with him He being the holy foundation makes all the building holy And so the Doctrine of the Apostles preached and published concerning him and received and held fast by these Believers was holy in respect of the effect and fruit of it in Believers who are said to be sanctified by the faith in Christ Jesus Acts 26.28 Sanctified or made holy through Gods Word which is the Truth John 17.17 and to be made clean through the Word spoken to them John 15.3 Sanctified and washed by the washing of water the Love Grace and Knowledge of God held forth in the Word that they might be presented a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be holy and without blame or blemish Ephes 5.26 27. as also the holiness of the new man is therefore in Ephes 4.22 called according to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holiness of truth because the effect or product of the Truth believed by men To this purpose are those sayings of David in Psal 119.9 11. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his wayes By taking heed thereto according to thy Word And again I have hid thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against thee c. Yea 4. It is called the holy Faith to signifie the great care that God hath of it its acceptableness to him and his respect to and care of it as in that sense in Jer. 2.3 Israel was said to be holiness to the Lord being his people his peculiar portion he had an especial care over them to defend them so as that all that devoured them offended evil came or shall come upon them So is Christ holiness to the Lord very dear and delightful to him and therefore especially cared for and defended by him as in Psal 89.21 With him his right hand is established and his arm strengthens him so as the enemy shall not exact upon him nor the son of wickedness afflict him he will beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him Yea therefore they that believe not in him shall be condemned and perish and they shall be destroyed that will