Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
glory_n	body_n	glorious_a	resurrection_n	2,384	5	9.2419	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60194	A learned commentary or exposition: upon the first chapter of the second Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians Being the substance of many sermons formerly preached at Grayes-Inne, London, by that reverend and judicious divine, Richard Sibbs, D.D. Sometimes Master of Catherine-Hall in Cambridge, and preacher to that honourable society. Published for the publick good and benefit of the Church of Christ. By Tho. Manton, B.D. and preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington, near London.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1655 (1655)	Wing S3738; ESTC R215702	745,441	567

not for the spiritual leading of Christ they do not acknowledge him Let not this man reign over us they shake off his bands they are sons of Belial without yoak and they shall be reckoned at the day of Judgment among them that know not Christ because to know him and not to acknowledge him is to no purpose As God knoweth us well enough but if he know us not and acknowledge us to be his what will become of us at the day of Judgment I know you not saith he that is he acknowledgeth them not to be his So if our knowledge be to know Christ generally so as not to give up our selves to be ruled by him to be directed by him this is not to acknowledge him and to know him and not to acknowledge him will be no comfort for us As it will be no comfort to us for him to know us and not to acknowledge us They that acknowledge Paul or any Minister they are brought to acknowledge Christ by him And then to give you a familiar taste of these things they do acknowledge the Minister that acknowledge the Word to be the Word of God to be from him What is that when they are cast into the form and mould of the Word and are willing to be framed to be such as the Word would have them to be pliable to it if it threaten to be terrified if it comfort to be raised up to be fashioned every way to the Word then they acknowledge the Word then they feel it to be Gods Word why For they feel it leavening the soul making all the powers holy and comfortable As leaven changeth the whole lump so the Word of God when we are cast into it and imbrace it it frames and fashions the whole man to be holy as the Word is holy This is to acknowledge the Word of God to hear it as the Word of God to hear it with reverence as we would hear something from a great Potentate from a Judge from a man that hath to do with us We know the Word of God and acknowledge him in the Minister when we tremble at it and hear it with obedience As Cornelius saith We are all here in the presence of God to hear whatsoever shall be commanded us of God whatsoever without distinction and turning over and declining the Word and shifting When there is a willing yielding to every thing that is told us and a meaning to obey it this is to acknowledge the Word of God or else we do not S Paul saith comfortably to the Thessalonians That they received the Word of God as the Word of God that is they acknowledged the Word of God because they heard it with such reverence and obedience and respect So you may know that you acknowledge the Minister if you acknowledge Christ if you acknowledge the Preacher and the VVord that he preacheth and you acknowledge him when you will be directed by him when he speaks in the Name of Christ to esteem highly of the Consolations of the Almighty in his mouth to suffer the strong holds of sin to be beaten down by his Ministery This is to acknowledge the Minister there is no good taken by Gods Ordinance where it is not onely known but acknowledged Christ comes to us in his Ministers as well as by the poor and it shall be known one day that we have rejected not poor men like our selves but Jesus Christ For we are joyned with Christ in acceptation or in neglect and contempt What we do in our Ministery faithfully we are joyned with Christ in our acceptance we accept Christ when we accept and esteem of the Minister or we reject Christ when we reject and refuse and set light by the Ministers of Christ. The hypocrisie of mans heart is not discerned almost so much in any thing as in this Let any command come from great men that have power of our bodies or estates to advance us or debase us Oh there is much astonishment and much heed taken wondrous heed of penal Lawes and Statutes that we run not into the dint of them Now God by his Ministers threatens hell and damnation hardnesse of heart and to throw us from one sin to another we hear these things as Judges forsooth as if they concerned us not It shall one day be known that they are Gods Ministers and that it is Gods Word If we have Grace to acknowledge them as speaking from God This is to acknowledge the Minister to be directed by him and to hear that that he speaks in the Name of God We are Ambassadours of God saith S. Paul and intreat you as if Christ himself were on earth would intreat you to be reconciled to God Therefore when you refuse our intreaty you refuse Christ that comes with us Those that will not hear him here shall hear that sentence hereafter they must not think to be regarded of him then but of that I shall speak hereafter As ye have acknowledged us in part You acknowledge us Ministers you acknowledge our doctrine you acknowledge Christ by us How do these Corinthians acknowledge S. Paul in part That we are your rejoycing even as ye are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus You have acknowledged us that we are your rejoycing What is the meaning of that You have acknowledged us that you have cause to rejoyce much to the day of Judgment and then you shall rejoyce to purpose that ever I was your Apostle that ever you had Grace to hearken to me that ever you had such a sincere down-right Apostle that would tell you the truth and gain you to Christ. That we are your rejoycing Whence we may observe That A faithful Minister is the rejoycing of the people Those people that are good and have any grace in them and not onely here but they will be so at the day of Judgment Why Because a faithful Minister brings to them him that is the cause of all joy him that is Isaac laughter Christ Jesus at whose very birth there was a message of joy from heaven For all joy and all glory is originally and fundamentally in God reconciled that is certain there is our joy in God reconciled For naturally before God be reconciled our hearts are full of confusion they are so far from joy and glory that they are full of horrour Now God is reconciled by Christs satisfaction and obedience his full satisfaction witnessed by his resurrection and thereupon comes our glorying to be in Christ who hath brought us to be at one with God with the God of glory Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ saith St. Peter that hath begotten us to a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ c. Now we have a lively hope we have a glorious hope we may glorie in it in the resurrection of Christ considering that his resurrection is an evidence that the debt is paid our surety

Christ. The best things are behind our chief rejoycing is behind our rejoycing now is our hope that we shall rejoyce then The Corinthians were S. Paul's joy now because he knew they should be his main rejoycing then If we rejoyce in any thing now let it be that our names are written in heaven in the testimony of our conscience that we are Gods that our hearts are wrought on that we have something that Christ will acknowledge when he sees his stamp and Image on us when he shall look on us and see his own Image upon our hearts there will be matter of joy in that day There will be joy in our selves and joy in all the blessed instruments that are under Christ the Ministers they shall rejoyce likewise in us and all of us shall joyn in joying in Christ all shall meet there For their joying in S. Paul and he in them it was that Christ was theirs And Christ shall come as it is in 2 Thess. 4. to be glorified in his Saints not onely in himself but in his believing members for his glory shall reflect upon them as the Sun reflects upon light bodies all light bodies are made light by the Sun So the Sun of Righteousnesse shall come and all them that have glory it shall be by reflexion from him they shall be glorious in him so he is both the Ministers joy and the peoples they shall all glory in Christ whose glory is their glory He shall come to be glorious in his Saints therefore frame your courses that way to have glory then to have comfort in the hour of death and at the day of Judgment And to end the point Let us labour to be acquainted with him now before that day we shall never have comfort in the day of the Lord Jesus except we be acquainted with him and acknowledge him in the Ministery now and in the Sacraments for none shall ever be acquainted with him there that have not been acquainted with him and known him in this world How do we come to be acquainted with Christ To be present where he is present and he is present where two or three are met together in his Name He is present now in our meetings he is present when we hear the Word He is present in the Sacrament more especially we have his very body and blood As verily as we take the outward signs so verily Christ is present to our hearts at the same time from heaven he reacheth us himself with all the benefits of his passion when the Minister reacheth the bread he reacheth his body As our outward man is refreshed with the elements so our soules are refreshed with the spiritual presence of Christ. Now he is excellently present in heaven he is present to our senses in the Sacrament and by his Spirit in the Word Would you have him then at his appearing come and own you and say then Come ye blessed be acquainted with him now upon all occasions hear the Word receive the Sacrament and come to the Sacrament as acknowledging him there How is that Why then you acknowledge the bread and wine to be Seales of him and of all the blessings by him when you come prepared when you come to them as his or else you do not acknowledge them you know them to be such and such things but you acknowledge them not to be set apart for such a holy use except you come with prepared hearts Will any body acknowledge him to go to a great person when he goes deformed and in rags do you know whither you go would some say to him He considers not whither he goes that comes to the Sacrament in his old sins Come acquainted therefore with Christ to acknowledge him that shall be your Judge at the latter day therefore come prepared And then because the Sacrament is a means to seal to us all the benefits we have by Christ and to incorporate us more nearly into Christ he that comes to the Sacrament as he should must come with joy Is it not a joyful thing to be united to Christ and to have further assurance of all the good things by him Yes it is a matter of great joy Therefore when you have repented of your sins come with joy And come with holinesse The things are holy as our Liturgy hath it let us give holy things to holy persons here is presented holy bread and wine and here you are to deal with Christ therefore come with holy reverence in the whole carriage of the businesse And come with faith and assurance and then you shall acknowledge Christ in this Ordinance in the Sacrament You shall acknowledge that he deales not complementally with you to feed you with empty signes but you shall have himself with his signs you shall have the Lord himself in the Word and in the Sacraments With the field you shall have the treasure in the field as the wise Merchant had With the Word you shall have Christ wrapped in the Word and in the Sacrament you shall have Christ and all his benefits Trust to it make it your weapon against Satan he will tempt you to doubt of your interest in Christ. Think with your selves Had I grace to receive Christ to be incorporate nearer into him why should I doubt to renew my Covenant And though I have fallen by weaknesse yet I have a gracious Intercessour in heaven that makes my peace continually Come in faith Know that God in good earnest here offers Christ with all his benefits And come with a purpose and resolution to be led by him You come to renew your Covenant here is the Covenant when Christ is given to you and you give your selves to Christ. Therefore as I said if you come with a purpose to live in sin come not at all Christ will not live in a heart where there is a purpose to sin therefore esolve to leave all sin or else you cannot receive him To move you to come and to come thus do but consider that it will be your joy in this world and in the world to come before Christ that you have been thus acquainted with him herc on earth acquainted with him in the Ministery acquainted with him in the Sacrament in private prayer and meditation in all the blessed means that he hath appointed and then he will look on you as upon his old friends But now he that is a Rebel that goes away or else comes not acknowledging with whom he hath to deal him that shall be his Judge ere long the Great God of Heaven and Earth that shall come in glory and majestie with thousands of his Angels Then he shall be Wonderfull indeed as his Name is Isai. 9. 6. and as the Apostle saith 2 Thess. 2. where he useth the word he shall be wonderful in his Saints Then all the world shall wonder at the glory of a poor Christian when he shall put down the Sun and all the

publick meetings Severed thanksgiving is not so acceptable a thanksgiving God doth bestow all good upon us in the body as we knit our selves not onely in thanksgiving to him but in love to the Church as all things are derived from God to us in the body so let our praise return to God in the body as much as we may It shews what a hatefull thing Schisme and division is in the Church besides many other inconveniences God wants glory by it God loves to be praised by many joyning together As the Apostle saith here Thanks shall be given by many c. Many not as they are many persons but as they are many godly persons that are led by the Spirit of God Therefore if the praise of many be so acceptable it should first be an incouragement to union In John 17. saith our Saviour Christ there I pray that they may be one as we are one It was the sum of that heavenly prayer the unity of the Church to the end of the world That they may be one as we are one the Trinity should be the patern of our unity Because I say all good is in union and all that comes from us that is accepted of God it must be in peace and union God so loves peace and a quiet disposition inclinable to peace that he neglects his own service till we have made peace one with another Mat. 5. If thou have any offence with thy brother if thou have done him any wrong or he thee go and be reconciled to him and then come and bring thy offering God will stay for his own offering he is content to stay for his own service till we be at peace one with another whether it be prayer or praise if we be not at peace it is not acceptable Again this should teach us to stir up others when we praise God and others have cause as well as we that thanks may be given by many When we are in trouble call upon others and as it is the common and commendable fashion desire others to pray for us that prayer may be made by many and when we receive any favour any deliverance from any great danger acquaint others with it that thanks may be given by many It was the practice of David in Psalme 66. Come I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soul. And in Psal. 34. and in Psal. 142. ult Bring my soul out of trouble that I may praise thy Name and what shall others do Then the righteous shall compasse me about for thou hast dealt bountifully with me Shewing that it is the fashion of righteous men when God hath dealt graciously with any of his Children they compasse him about to be acquainted with the passages of divine providence and Gods goodnesse towards them The righteous shall compasse me about for thou hast dealt bountifully with me Holy David in Psalme 103. he stirs up every creature to praise God even the creatures of haile of stormes and windes and every thing even the Blessed Angels as we see in the latter end of that Psalme as if thanksgiving were an imployment fit for Angells and indeed so it is and as if all his own praise were not enough except all the creatures in heaven and earth should joyn with him in that blessed Melody to praise God the Angells and all creatures praise God Let us stir up one another to this exercise How do the creatures praise God They do praise God by thy tongue although they have a kind of secret praise which God heares well enough for they do their duty in their place willinglly and chearfuly but they praise God in our tongues every creature gives us occasion of praising God That thanks may be given by many c. Many give thanks here for one Saint Paul for the Minister We see here Gods end that many should praise God not onely for themselves but for others especially for those by whom God conveys and derives good unto them whether outward or spirituall good The Apostle exhorts us to pray for all men 1 Tim. 2. For Kings yea though they were persecuting Kings at that time And surely if we ought to pray to God for all mankind we ought to praise God for all sorts of men especially for Governours and Ministers c. because God by them bestowes his greatest blessings Obey the Magistrate Let every soule be subject to the higher Powers for the powers that are are ordained of God and he is the Minister of God for thy good so the Governours and Ministers of God are for our good We ought therefore as to pray for them that they may execute their office for our good so to praise God for the good we have by them You know David stirred up the people to mourn for Saul though a Tyrant He cloathed you and your Daughters saith he with skarlet If they should praise God for a persecuting King and mourn for him when he was gone much more should we for those that are good And so likewise for Pastors we ought to praise God for them and all that have good by them will pray to God and praise God for them And undoubtedly it is a sign of a man that hath no good by them that prayes not for them and that praiseth not God by them we ought to praise God in that proportion as well as to pray to God one for another And this should stir us up to be good to many that many may praise God not onely for themselves but for us If it be our duty to pray for those that we derive good by and to praise God for them then let us labour to be such as may communicate to others Good is diffusive and good men are like the box in the Gospell that when it was opened all the house smelled of it The heathen Philosopher said that a just man a good man is a common good like a publick stream like a publick Conduit that every man hath a share in Therefore as the Wise man saith When good men are exalted the City rejoyceth many rejoyce Who would not therefore labour in this respect to be good to have a publick disposition to have a large heart to doe all the good we can That so we may not onely have more prayers to God for us but we may have more praise to God for us that God may gaine by it That thanks may be given by many on our behalf Let us take notice of our negligence in this kind and be stirred up to this blessed duty And therefore consider wherein it consists It consists in our taking notice of the favours of God to our selves and others and in valuing the good things that we praise God for to esteem them The Children of Israel they did not blesse God for the mannah they did not value it This Mannah this Mannah in scorn So in Psalme 106. They neglected Gods pleasant

that he loves Christ with he loves us in his beloved He hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in him he hath made us sons in him that is the naturall Son and as his love is unchangeable to his Son so it is to us in Christ. If a Princes love to any man be founded and grounded upon the love he bears to his son if he loves his son he loves such a man because his son loves him surely he may have great comfort that it it will hold because his affection is naturall and unalterable he will alway love his son therefore he will love him whom his son loves alway Now Christ is the Son of God he loves us in his Son he hath given us rich promises in his Son He hath given him the first promise and all other promises of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting in and through him As long as he loves Chrst he will love us and as sure as he loves Christ he will love us Nothing in the world can separate his love from his own Son and nothing in the world can separate Gods love from us because it is in his Son Christ loves his mysticall bodie as well as his natural bodie and God loves the mysticall bodie of Christ as he loves his naturall bodie he hath advanced that to glorie at his right hand and will he leave his mysticall bodie the Church will he not advance that Doth he not love whole Christ Yes God loves whole Christ. Our nature that he hath taken to him it is the chief thing the most lovely thing in heaven or earth next to God And he loves all that are in him his mysticall body For indeed he gave us to Christ he hath sealed and anointed him he is anointed by God the Father for us Upon what an unchangeable eternall ground is the love of God built and the faith of a Christian How can the gates of hell prevail against the Faith of a Christian when it carries him to the promises and from the promises to the love of God and from thence to Christ upon whom the love of God is founded Before the faith of a Christian can be shaken the promises must be of no effect they must be yea and nay and not yea and if the promises be shaken the Love of God must be uncertain and Christ uncertain heaven and earth must be overturned to overturne the faith of a Christian. There is nothing in the world that is so firme as a believing Christian that casts himself on the promises that are alway yea and to make them yea they are founded on Christ the Son of Gods love Well these promises comming from such love may be ranked into diverse ranks I will touch some of them to shew how we are to carrie our selves to make comfortable use of this that All the premises are yea and amen in Christ. There are some universall promises for the good of all mankind as that God would never destroy the world again Or promises that concern more particularly his Church And those are promises either of outward things or of spirituall and eternall things of Grace and glory Now for the manner of promising they admit of this distinction All the promises that God hath made to us either they are absolute without any condition so was Christ. God promised Christ let the world be as it will Christ did and would have come And so the promise of his glorious comming he will come let men be as they will there will be a resurrection Some promises be conditional in the manner of propounding but yet absolute in the real performance of them As for example the promises of Grace and Glory to Gods children the promise of forgivnesse of sins God will forgive their sins if they believe if they repent they are propounded conditionally but in the performance they are absolute because God performes the Covenant himself he performes our part and his own too For since Christ though he propounded the promises of the Gospel with conditions yet he performes the condition he stirs us up to attend upon the meanes and by his Spirit in the Word he works faith and repentance which is the condition faith and repentance is his gift He writes his law in our hearts and teacheth us how to love So though they be conditionally propounded for God deales with men as men by way of commerce he propounds it by way of Covenant and condition yet in the Covenant of Grace which is truly a gracious Covenant he not onely gives the good things but he performs the condition by the Spirit working our hearts to believe and to repent Again there are promises not only propounded conditionally of Grace and comfort but of outward things All outward things are promised conditionally as thus God hath promised protection from contagious sicknesses from war and troubles Generall promises there are of protection every where Psal 91. God will be a hiding place and he will deliver his Children there are privative promises and then positive promises that he will do this and that good for them but these are conditional so far forth as in his wise providence he sees it may serve spirituall good things Grace and the inward man for God takes liberty in our outward estate and in our bodies to afflict them or to do them good as may serve the main For do what we will these bodies will turn to dust and vanity and we must leave the world behind us but God looks to the main state in Christ to the new Creature Therefore as far as outward blessings may incourage us and as far as deliverances may help the maine so far he will grant them or else he denies them he takes libertie in outward things Therefore that sort of promises they are conditionall with exception of necessary affliction For we cannot have the blessings of this life positive or privative we cannot be delivered alwaies and have blessings but our corrupt nature is such that except we have some what to season them we shall surfet of them we cannot digest them and therefore they are all with the exception of the crosse As Christ saith he that doth any thing for him he shall have an hundred-fold here but with affliction and persecution he shall be sure of that whatsoever else he hath let him look for that All the crosses we have in the world are to season the good things of this life Many other distinctions and differences we might have to lay open the kinds of promises in Scripture but this shall suffice to give you a taste Now all these are made in Christ and performed in Christ so far forth as is for our good Are all the promises of what kind soever spirituall or outward temporall and eternall are they all made to us in Jesus Christ and are they certain Yea and Amen in him Then make this use of it let us renew

their worst if you will needs fear I will tell you whom you shall f●…ar Fear him that can cast both body and soul into hell So if we be forced to suffer the losse of any thing that is good in the world or be cast into any ill condition what saith S. Paul The troubles and afflictions of the world are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed Let us set that glory before us and that will prevail against that all the world can threaten or take from us what is all to it nothing Therefore by faith we stand we keep our own standing and withstand all oppositions whatsoever Oh but what if there come more subtile temptations end the Lord himself seemes to be our enemy that we have sinne and God is angry and we see he followes us with afflictions that are evidences of his anger how shall we stand now and keep our selves from despair This is a fiery dart of Satan when a man hath sinned and conscience is awakened to make him sink in despair O but faith will make the soul to stand in these great temptations against those fiery darts faith puts a shield into the hand of the soul to beat back all those fiery darts For faith will present Christ to God Indeed I have been a sinner but thou hast ordained a Saviour and he is of thine own appointing of thine own a●…ting a Saviour of thine own giving and thou hast made a promise that Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life I cast my self upon thy mercy in him hereupon faith comes to withstand all such fiery temptations whatsoever nay against God himself Lord thou canst not deny thine own Saviour thou ●…mest to be an enemy and though I be a sinner and have deserved to be cast into hell yet I come to thee in the Name of thy Son that is at thy right hand and pleads for me by vertue of his blood shed for me I came in his Name thou canst not refuse thy owne Son For all temptations when a man hath faith in him it will send Satan to Christ to answer for him Go to Christ he is my husband he hath paid my debts he hath satisfied for my sins So that whatsoever the temptation be make it as subtle as you will there is a skill in faith to stand against it and to beat back all the fiery darts of Satan Therefore to end all we see here what an excellent estate a Christian is in above all others that he hath a better standing then others have not onely a better standing in Religion then the Papists have but in the profession of Religion he hath a better standing then common professors why he stands by faith by sound faith He stands not upon opinion or because he hath been bred so he stands not upon his wit because he sees reason for it he stands upon faith and faith stands upon divine authority he stands partly upon his own experience that seconds faith Those then that care not for Religion what standing have they those that stand only in pleasures and profits and in the favour of great men what standing have they They stand as the Psalmist saith in slippery places There is no man but if he nave not faith he stands slippery though he be never so great if he be a Monarch alas what is it to stand a while all these things are but uncertain though they yield present content they are but uncertain contentments the Wise-man saith they are but vanity they are like the reed of Egypt that will not uphold they will not sustein the soul in the time of trouble there is nothing that a man can stand upon and fasten his soul upon if he be not Religious that will hold scarce the fit of an ague that will hold in the pangs of death even in the entrance of it that will hold in terrours of conscience How little a trouble will blow away all those that stand on so weak a foundation as an earthly thing is For they have but an Imaginary good to speak of and that Imagination is driven out by the sense of the contrary Let contrary troubles come and all their fooles Paradise and their happinesse they had before is at an end it goes no deeper then Imagination All the things in this world stablish not the heart Those that do not stand by faith in the favour of God in Christ let their standing be what it will it will soon be over turned by any temptation they can stand out against nothing Therefore let us labour above all things in the world to have that faith strengthened by which we stand and let us often be encouraged to strengthen our faith by all means that we may stand the better upon it and try our faith before we trust it it is that that we must trust to and stand to in life and death Therefore let us often think Is my faith good is it well built Let us oft put this query to our soules I believe the Religion I professe but upon what grounds I believe the truths in the Word of God but upon what grounds have I a clear understanding of them because they are divine doth the Spirit of God open them and shew a light in the Scripture that is divine doth the Spirit of God give me a relish of the Scriptures above all the pleasures in the world Do I find God speaking to my heart in the Word do I find the Spirit of God with his Ordinance then my knowledge and my faith will hold out I can stand by that faith in the Word that is wrought by the Spirit and fastened upon the Word with the Spirit But if I believe the Religion I professe only because the State doth so and if the King and State should do otherwise I would change my Religion or if it be because my parents were so or my friends and Patron is of that religion whom I depend upon or because I see greater seeming reason for this then for the other I can hold argument for this and not for the other Alas this will not hold But labour to know the truth of the Word of God by experience as much as we can and by the Spirit of God giving evidence to our soules from the inward grounds of Scripture that it is the Word I know whom I have trusted I know the promises are good I have felt them in my soul the Spirit hath reported them to my soul they are sweeter then all the things in the world It is a sure Word I bottome upon it I have found the comfort of it before therefore I will build upon it We can never stand unlesse we can make our knowledge spiritnal it is but acquisite knowledge else We fall in three things vilely we labour that our knowledge of Religion be spiritual and fetched divinely out of the Word of God together with the Spirit We

abuse Promises of this life 2. Gods Promises wondrously performed 3. God deferreth his performance To wait Gods time Believe contraries in contraries To have Amen for Gods Amen Complaint of Unbelief Faith in the Promises honours God Why God honors faith so much To make the Promises familiar How to make use of former examples What use to make of the story of our own lives Comfort in the false dealing of men To deceive trust odious Comfort in all changes in the world How the Word of the Lord endures for ever To rely constantly on the constant Promises To observe how God daily fulfills his Promises 1. For temporals 2. For spirituals Turn Promises into Prayers Labour to know the Promises Work the Promises on our hearts Evidences of believing the Promises 1. They breed joy 2. They quicken to obedience 3. They purge 4. They quiet the soul. 5. A staying of t●…e soul when all i●… contrary 6. Faithfulnesse in our Promises to God Quest. Answ. God gives grace to perform the Covenant God promiseth the things be requires Promises Legacies Covenant a Testament Threatnings of God Amen as well as Promises 7. Opposition of flesh and fleshly men Carnal men despise those that trust in Gods Promises To go to God in Christ to perform the promises How to think of Christ. All in the world nothing without Christ. Observ. Gods glory manifested in the Gospel More then in the Creation Our estate in Christ better then Adam's Glory of Gods Justice His Mercy Wisdome Power Truth To see Gods Attributes in Christ. To honour God by believing the Gospel Glory of God by the Ministery Observ. A double Amen 1. In Gods Promises 2. In our Faith Necessity of application Difference between faith and presumption Observ. Stablishing grace necessary Reason 1. In regard of our indisposition 2. In regard of oppositions Difference between true Christians and others Degrees of faith Observ. Christ the foundation of our stability 1. Our Judgment stablished in Christ. 2. Our Will 3. Our affections A Christians stability more then Adam's or Angels None are firm but Christians Observ. God onely can stablish the soul. 1. By shewing our misery and Christs excellency The ground of believing Gods Word Reason of Apostasie The reason of unfruitfulnesse The reason of Despair Spiritual knowledge necessary Observ. God will stablish us 1. Because he is constant All of Grace from God Ground of a Christians not falling away God stablisheth b●… working stablishing graces Fear Wisdome Faith Peace To value all good Christians The Spirit works as we are in the body Bond of communion of Saints Use. To give God the glory of our stablishing Strengthen radical graces 1. Humility 2. Faith 3. Knowledge Knowledge must be spirituall 1. Be acquainted with Gods Word 2. Take no scandal at those that shrink 3. Retain the truth in love 4. Practise truths ●…nown 5. Be frequent in holy conference 7. Pray to God to stablish us 8. Be spiritually poor 9. Hate lukewarmnesse Use 2. Examination of our stablishing 1. When it is grounded on the Word 2. When weak men overcome strong temptations 2. By freedome from base fears cares c. Examine our knowledge Examine our course of life None but a Christ an truly couragious in death 2. Desire of Christs coming Why God useth so many several words to sec●… us What the Spirit is an Earnest of The Spirit an Earnest 1. For security 2. It is part of the whole 3. An Earnest is little to the whole 4. It serves the party receiving it 5. It is never taken away Observ. A Christian man be assured of his estate in grace All in the work of Redemption is for that end Christians not alike assured at all times Double act of saith 1. Direct 2. Reflect The reflect act may be hindred Naughty hearte content with a state of doubling Observ. Gods Children may be assured they shall held out to the end Grace and glory differ but in degrees Observ. Those that look to be happy must first be holy Observ. We may be assured from a little measure of grace The Spirit appears not in all graces at once A Christian is a mixed creature Use 2. To examine the truth of grace We may know grace is true though little 1. The soul mournes that it is little 2. Wait 3. To wait with Patience 4. Constancy 5. To purge our selves 6. Desire of accomplishment Cautions 1. When conscience is wounded 2. Have been carelesse 7. Growth in grace 8. Quieting of the soul. 9. True gold will endure the tryal 10. It will persevere Christians get strength by their falls To labour for assurance Earnest given for our sakes To labour against unbelief Earnest the work of the Spirit 1. He proceeds from Father and Son 2. He only can quiet the soul. How to know we have the Spirit 1. By life and motion 2. By transforming us 3. By Conflict 4. By supernatural obedience 5. It dwells in us 6. It mortifies sin 7. It leads us 8 It is a Spirit of adoption 9. It teacheth to pray 10. And to wait Directions to have the Spirit 1. Attend Gods means 2. Not to grieve the Spirit 1. By cherishing Lusts. 2. Obey the Spirit 3. Pray for the Spirit The Spirit makes impregnable No thankfulnesse without the Spirit No joy without the Spirit No will●…ngnesse to dye without it Parts of the Verse Observ. Mans nature prone to suspition Grounds of suspition 1. The infirmity of men 2. Guiltinesse 3. From Probabilities Suspition more then fear lesse then judgment Suspition what Suspition makes the worst construction Why the Devil cherisheth suspition Mischief from suspition Observ. To labour to avoid suspition Suspition a Canker That that is suspected is made unprofitable God labours ●…o free himself from suspition Christ labours to be freed from suspition Sin must be censured and judged Doctr. Gentle courses first to be used Reason 1. It is suitable to ●…ns nature Reason 2. To Gods disposition Reason 3. To the carriage of our salvation Reason 4. Gods course Reason 5. It is most successeful Reason 6. It is tasting Use. To deal gently with others Doctr. When gentle means prevail not severe must be used Reason Men must not spare that God may Against selfr●…spects in reproos of sin Use. People to be willing to bear of their sins How to prevent severity in others Vexation in hell to those that were cherished in sin Three-fold correction 1. Private admonition 2. Before others Definition of an Oath None but good men should take an Oath To swear by none but God Invocation in an Oath Imprecation Oath to be taken onely in serious matters An Oath must be 1. In Truth 2. In Judgment 3. In Justice Against equivocation An oath only in matters in determinable Oath lawful Ordinary Swearing forbidden Object Answ. Swearing without good life nothing Object Answ. Custome no plea for swearing Object Answ. Company no excuse for swearing Swearing ordinarily argues a vile heart Original of common swearing 1. Atheisme 2. Cherishing passion 3. Affectation 4. Shame Men should abstain swearing in love to the Kingdome For love to the●…r own sam lies Conscience of less●…r oathes Ordinary Swearers curse themselves A Christians life a kind of oath Doctr. No man hath dominion over anothers faith 1. What it is not to have dominion over the faith of others What ●…ranny over the faith of others is Quest. Answ. The Church of Rome domineers over the faith of others 1. By Traditions 2. Will-worship 3. That the Pope cannot erre A grand lie that hinders their Reformation 4. Church Judge of Controversies 5. In the intentio●… of the Minister in the Sacrament Confession Satans malice to sit in Gods throne Popery would subdue all Use. To be thankful for freedome from this tyranny How to think of Popery Grounds of spiritual Tyranny Salvation termed joy why Doctr. 1. The state of a Christian is joy Nature teacheth it God gives matter of joy 1. Freedom from ill 2. The good they are brought to Reason 1. That God may have glory Reason 2. It makes active in doing good Reason 3. And able to suffer ill Reason 4. To encourage others Doctr. 2. The Word unfolded helps this joy To comfort what The Ministers helpers of joy 1. By shewing people their ill 2. By shewing the remedy 3. By advice Light Liberty Victory 4. By forcing it as a duty 5. In death Object Answ. Ministers trouble the joy of carnal men Object Answ. Private means will not comfort when publick are neglected Object Answ. The sorrow caused by the Ministery tends to joy Simile Object Answ. Simile Comfort what Use. To esteem the Ministery To open the case of our soules to spiritual Physitians Doctr. 3 Ministers but helpers not the authours of joy Simile Gods Spirit only specks comfort 1. He only knowes our hearts 2. He only can set down the soul. Use To look for comfort from the Spirit by the means Not to idolize the Ordinances why S. Paul varies the phrase Observ. Faith breeds joy 1 Faith takes away all that may discourage 2. It shewes Gods love in Christ. Pedigree of joy Use. To try if our joy be good 1. If it spring from the Word 2. It springs from faith 3. It is above discouragements or allurements 4. It is with humility Standing what meant by it Quest. Answ. Why our stand ing is by faith Four degrees of assent 1. Opinion 2. Knowledge 3. Believing 4. Experience How we stand by faith Quest. Answ. What faith it self stands on God our Father The nature of God Observ. The foundation of faith out of us Faith withstands opposition Quest. Answ. How we stand by faith when conscience is awakened for sin The firmnesse of a Christians standing If our knowledg of Scripture be not spiritual 1. We fall into sin 2. To despair 3. To Apostasie The Sacrament strengthens faith Faith the radical grace