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A00980 The way to blessednes a treatise or commentary, on the first Psalme. By Phinees Fletcher, B. in D. and minister of Gods Word at Hilgay, in Norfolke. Fletcher, Phineas, 1582-1650. 1632 (1632) STC 11085; ESTC S102384 208,041 304

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the Spirit resembles the word to an hammer that breaketh the stone and doctrine to morter which holds us in this building so is it that meanes whereby God builds further When our happinesse is compared to an harvest then the word is called seed the Pr●achers of it sowers The word likewise is raine th● Preachers those that water When the blessed estate of man is compared to an inheritance the word is not onely made the meanes whereby we become Sonnes but is said to giue us inheritance with the Saints Very frequent are these similitudes in the Scripture Looke therefore as in all creatures God hath ordained the fruit and ther●fore appointed the meanes which being blessed by him bring forth their ●ff●cts so in this kinde whom God hath ordained unto eternall life to them he sends his word blesseth it and so produceth the effect purposed by himselfe As when he created the first Adam he created no more though he were Almighty to haue of nothing framed many millions but appointed all other men yea even Eve her self to flow from his loynes so when he gaue our Lord to be the second Adam he decreed that all his Elect should flow from him s●t out this immortall seed to this end though he be able of stones to raise up childrē unto Abraham yet doth he use no other means then this appointed by his own wisdom either to giue this life or to nourish it 2. Seing the word of God is the Guide which leades us to happinesse we learne also hence one of the most principal duties of man namely to heare read record and converse with it imploying his time in it Art thou a Minister of the word then hast thou this precept from God giue attendance to reading take heed unto learning continue therein Art thou an hearer Thou must be swift to heare It in authoritie then Gods charge lies upon thee He shall write him this law repeated in a booke and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord. The like command is given to Ioshua Whatsoever thou art hearken to that generall commandement All these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart and thou shalt rehearse them continually My sonne hearken unto my words incline thine eare unto my sayings Let them not depart from thine eyes but keepe them in the midst of thy heart Let the word of God dwell in you richly The practise of the Saints answereth this precept Thus David he loves the Law this constant love brought forth continuall meditation So Ieremie and Iob Ier. 15. 16. Iob 23. 12. And even our reason it selfe if we hearken to it will strongly enforce this dutie upon us Our owne sense will tell us that an excellent object of the eye is the writings of m●n skilfull wittie and learned whereby with little paines we come to know all the fruit of their studies and reape in a few houres what they haue laboured many yeares Now if the writings of prudent and understanding men in which all their wisedome and their very soules are opened and discovered to us be the most noble object of a reasonable creatures eye then certainely the most excelling object of a Christian eye is the written word of God which unlocks and brings forth unto our view the glorious wisedome of our God Thy reason therfore will frame this argument Every creature ought principally to employ it selfe in that which is the most excellent object of it but the Scripture is the most excellent object of the eye therefore the eye must especially busie and employ it selfe in conversing with the Scripture So likewise the most proper object of the eare is sound the most excellent object of the eare is the voice of man and words expressing their notions but that which infinitely excells it is the word of God and his voice unfolding his gracious purpose towards us and therefore aboue all other to be most attended followed The most proper object of the understanding is truth the most excellent then must be the truth of God Certainly the highest degree of happinesse consisteth in our likenesse to God and therefore our beholding him as he is being the meanes whereby we are conformed to his image is of all other things most to bee desired When therefore we shall see him face to face and know him as we are knowne then shall we in our measure be perfected after the similitude of his glory see 1 Iohn 3. 2. Thus when Moses desired to see the glory of God though hee could not see him face to face which no man living on earth can doe but the backe parts alone that is discerned so much onely of his glory as our imperfect nature can receiue as when we see the backe of a man our knowledge is but imperfect yet his face shined so gloriously that the people yea his owne brother Aaron feared to come neere him Our imperfect happinesse then to which we may attaine on earth is to bee imperfectly conformed to his likenesse in some degree of holinesse which is effected by beholding him in his word For now in the pr●ached word of God we see him not indeed face to face yet not as the Iewes veiled but with open face and so by looking into that perfect myrrour wherin he shines forth unto us in his grace we are changed into the same image by the spirit of the Lord. Looke as the eye receiues into it selfe the object or thing it sees so that it may be seene in the eye so the understanding being as the Philosopher speakes all to all taking into it selfe the image of God expressed in his word is more more conformed unto it A seale joyned to waxe brings forth the same impressure when therefore the Spirit having graven this image of God in his holy word th●n applies it effectually to the understanding it cannot but produce the same image and stampe If therefore we would diligently consider and compare those places I●r 9.23.24 and Rom. 10. 14. we would soone confesse 1. that all our good consisteth in the knowledge of God and 2. that the knowledge of God depends on his word and then necessarily acknowledge that it is a maine dutie of every man to converse with the word of God and continually to meditate in it 3. It is also a second dutie belonging to every Christian to bring forth this word which he hath layd up in his heart for the edification of others as occasion shall bee offered this is especially intended by the Apostle Let every man as he hath received the gift minister the same one to another If thou art in the Ministerie then hast thou a strict charge from God to feede the flocke and to be instant in season and out of season If thou art one of