Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
glory_n	face_n	moses_n	shine_v	2,681	5	9.0852	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65694	Eighteen sermons preached upon several texts of Scripture by William Whittaker, late minister of Magdalen Bermondsey, Southwark ; to which is added his funeral sermon preached by Sam. Annesley.	Whittaker, William, 1629-1672.; Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.	1674 (1674)	Wing W1718; ESTC R29271	230,495	446

we to be astonished at our selves we that are acquainted with such enjoyments and yet are so slight in our endeavours after them Alass amongst those that profess the name of God how few mind this inheritance with that earnestness as they do other things Do they live as those that are convinced that heaven is such an inheritance as hath been related Alass is not this to despise the greatest of blessings Therefore a little to awaken us out of our Spiritual Lethargy and to make us more serious and intent about the things of heaven I shall only propound one or two Arguments Consider what it is you neglect It is said of the Jews had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory had they known him to have been the Lord of glory they would not have Crucified him so may I say did we know what it is we despise we would not thus despise it as we do You read of the wise Merchant 13. Matth. 45. He no sooner heard of the Pearl of great price but he sold all he had and bought it he was willing to part with all so he might but purchase the Pearl Is it not strange that the discovery of those things which God hath laid up for his people in the other world hath not the same effect upon us Consider what it is you despise and then you cannot but wonder at your selves while you behold others distracting their thoughts breaking their sleep and filling their hearts with cares and are restless for the things of this world Nay are out-stript by you as to your endeavours and cares for those things that are so far transcendent and so admirable Shall they take more pains for perishing comforts then you do for everlasting mercies Consider but this one thing The glory in this inheritance that God will put upon the very bodies of his People and Consider the glory in this inheritance that God intends to put upon the souls of his People 1. The glorious excellencies and persechons that God intends to put upon the bodies of his People they are now stiled vile bodies corruptible bodies 1 Corinth 15.42 43 44. speaking of the bodies of the Saints Though it be sown in corruption it shall be raised in incorruption These poor bodies of ours are now fading and withering things All flesh is grass and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field the grass withereth the flower fadeth but the word of the Lord endureth for ever What more perishing then the grass all the art in the world cannot long prop up these poor tabernacles of clay they must moulder into dust It was a vain boast of proud Paracelsus that he could make man immortal but God convinc'd him of his folly for he died in the strength of his years Now though it be a withering dying body a paper building that must be dissolved though it be sown a corruptible body it shall be raised in incorruption now what an admirable change is this It is now a vile body that is another expression in the 43 vers It is sown a vile body it is raised in honour it is vile in respect of those many distempers and noisome diseases and frailties this poor flesh of ours is subject to but it shall be raised in glory Consider if Moses had such glory upon his face when he had been conversing with God upon the mount what glory will God then put upon these poor bodies of his People when they shall enjoy him so fully Consider that of Moses in the 34. Exod. 30. So when Steven was arraigned as a Malefactour at the bar of Justice they saw the glory of God shining upon him 6. Act. 16. Thus you read of Daniel 12. Dan. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever A third expression you have 44. vers It is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body here is a seeming contradiction in the terms if a body it is no more spiritual if spiritual it is no more a body for a full understanding of this a learned expositour gives these his thoughts we shall never comprehend what this means till we come fully to injoy it but thus far we may safely speak it shall be raised a spiritual body that is free from all natural dependencies Alass how many props do these poor bodies need for their support how many Creatures loose their lives to maintain ours in this respect all our Creature dependencies shall then be removed God will take away our crutches Yes and our lameness also it shall be raised a spiritual body All the art in the world cannot preserve these poor bodies from decay nay it cannot preserve them from noisome and destructive weaknesses they are bodies full of weaknesses and under a necessity of many supports but these corruptible bodies shall be raised in incorruption these vile bodies shall be raised in honour these natural bodies shall be raised spiritual bodies This is the great honour that God will put upon the bodies of his Saints such honour have all his Saints in respect of their bodies they shine as stars in the firmament SERMON III. 1. Coloss 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light 2 COnsider the glory that this Inheritance doth contain in reference to the souls of the Saints Bernard breaks out into this high expression how great shall the glory of Gods people be when their very bodies shall be as glorious as the Sun and they shall shine as the Sun in the firmament Concerning the glory of the souls of the Saints I shall not be large in treating of that All the faculties of their souls shall then be more inlarged and widened to receive in more of God to take in more of happiness then now they are capable of our souls now are but narrow vessels in comparison of what they shall be then the soul of man is too big a vessel for the world to fill Whence is it that we thus pursue the world as our only happiness it will never satisfie us Men wander from one creature to another but they do not find happiness They seek the living among the dead the soul is too wide for these things to fill it but then it shall be widened and shall have a larger capacity then now it hath Our understandings shall know more of God knowledge is one of the great accomplishments of man it sets him in a higher rank of being then other creatures and that there is a very great excellency in knowledge appears because this was the bait Satan made use of so shall you be as Gods knowing good and evil that subtil adversary knew no bait more taking Knowledge in it self is a most lovely and amiable thing but in comparison of spiritual knowledge the knowledge of God

be proportionably a deadness and inefficacy upon all the means of doing us good The weapons of our spiritual warfare are only powerful through God The Gospel is the power of God Rom. 7.16 't is not food alone can nourish but the blessing of God going with it 't is not ordinances alone can refresh but God in and by ordinances 4. Every affliction will proportionably become more burdenson and afflicting as the heavyest of afflictions have seemed light to those who have had the presence of God to sweeten them and his assistance to bear them so the lightest of afflictions must needs be heavy to them from whom God is withdrawn Every small burden seems great to weak and feeble persons when greater matters seem a very nothing to hale and strong persons Now as Gods presence is with us so is our strength Vse If God hide his face from them who are the Objects of his favour what will become of them who are the objects of his displeasure If these things be done to the green tree what shall be done to the dry If this be the severity of God towards them whom he loves how dreadful is the severity of God against them whom he hates If this may be the portion of them who are in a state of grace whatshall be the portion of them who are in a state of sin If so much be endured by vessels of mercy what must be endured by vessels of wrath They may at present flourish but what will their condition be in that day of revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.5 Vse When it goes worst with the people of God 't is much better with them then with others they are Objects of Gods favour though unable at present to discern any thing but anger their condition is safe though at present uncomfortable How vast a difference is there betwixt their sorrows and others joys The only ground of their sorrows is because they are unable to discern what cause they have of joy and the onely ground of others joys is because they see not what cause they have of sorrow Vse It becomes us to consider in how great a measure this is the case of our Church and Nation Hath not God hid his face from our Jacob by removing the wonted tokens and pledges of his gracious presence How great an Eclipse is this day upon all our glory How are we scanted of former opportunities It concerns us the more to be affected with these things because none of us but by our barrenness under former means and by our contempt of Gospel priviledges have contributed very much to the drawing down of his severity If the Prophet here accounts if so sore a judgement for God to hide his face in respect of temporal favours how much greater cause have we to lay to heart Gods hiding his face in respect of spiritual mercies and priviledges 2. Doct. That when God hides his face from his people the great work and business which then lies before them is to wait upon the Lord to look for his 't is their work at all times to wait upon God and that not only as servants to receive his commands but as necessitous persons to obtain his relief both which are put together Psal 123.2 As the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters c. so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us There is not that person on earth whose ignorance of his duty does not lay a continual obligation upon him to wait upon the Lord for direction and Councel Not is there that person on earth whose necessities and wants do not lay the like obligation upon him of waiting upon the Lord for relief and assistance Hence is it that the people of God are frequently described by this Character they are such as wait upon the Lord believers in the Old Testament waited the accomplishment of those promises the fulfilling whereof God had reserved for the times of the Gospel Thus Jacob waited for the salvation of the Lord Gen. 49.18 John the Baptist waited for the Messiah Matth. 11.3 Joseph of Arimathea waited for the kingdom of God Mark 15.43 Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 The Jews look for redemption in Jerusalem Luke 2.38 Believers under the New Testament are said to wait for the accomplishment of those promises the fulfilling whereof God hath referved for another world they are said to look for the Saviour Phil. 3.20 To look for that blessed hope Tit. 2.13 To look for Christ Heb. 9.28 But though it be both the duty and Character of Gods people at all times to wait upon the Lord yet is it especially their work and business at such times the Prophet knew not what better course to take in that dark and gloomy season and therefore he resolves for himself to wait upon the Lord and by his own example he provokes others to do the like when Jehoshaphat and the people were so distressed that they knew not what to do their eyes were upon God 2 Chron. 20.12 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord Lam. 3.25 26. Psal 33.18 20. This is the course which God hath prescribed the faithful practised and God himself hath all along owned For the further clearing of this Doct. Two things shall be spoke to 1. The nature of this carriage or duty 2. The principles from which this carriage arises 1. Concerning the nature of this carriage or what it is to wait upon the Lord and in what acts it doth formally express it self It is in general such a carriage as results from the joynt exercise of many particular graces as faith hope patience humility repentance c. all these and many other graces are necessary ingredients to this carriage and without the concurrent acting of all these we cannot wait upon God aright but more particularly waiting upon God implies 1. An exercising faith upon the promises even when providence seems most to contradict the promise distrust drives us from God as that prophane Prince 1 Kings 6.33 This evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer his unbelief represents this duty vain and unprofitable but now faith seeks a certainty and sufficiency of relief in the promises and therefore builds upon them and consequently bears up the soul above all sinking discouragements the promises are wells of consolation but faith is the bucket they are treasuries of all kinds of mercy but faith fetches out supplies though there be never so much consort laid up in the promises yet what is all this to us unless we do by faith make use of them I had fainted says David unless I had believed c. Psal 27.13 14. There were many discouragements in the providences of God but David answers all by believing the promises and indeed

as any single Member of Christ continues in a state short of perfection the Gospel shall continue God hath promised Eph. 4.11 That Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers shall be in the Church for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. So long as we are short of perfection so long shall these helps continue Now had not God taken care of the Gospel all those instructions that are contained in it had long since been buried in oblivion 2. As God hath been careful to preserve these Books from extirpation so also from corruption that as not any part of it hath been destroyed so no salse Principle have been infused and this is as great a wonder as the other that though the powers of earth and hell have been bent against it though they have neither wanted malice nor power yet they have neither destroyed and extirpated it nor brought in another Gospel to the exclusion of it though there were early attempts against it as you find Gal. 1.6.7 Imarvel that you are so soon removed unto another Gospel This hath been one of Satans ways to set up new Doctrines quite contrary to this thereby thinking to prevail but such hath been the care of God concerning this Doctrine that it is observed as a remarkable thing by Ecclesiastical Writers that in every age of the Church when Satan hath raised up some dangerous Instrument to corrupt this Doctrine God hath raised up another eminent Instrument for the defence of this Gospel as when Arrius was so busie in crying down the Divinity of Christ God then raised up Athanasius as an Antidote against that poysonous eror And so when Pelagius did endeavour to pull own Free grace and advance and raise up ●ature God then raised up St. Sustine for the lefence of the Truth In all Ages of the Church God hath taken care to preserve this Doctrine from being corrupted Now that this Doctrine that hath had so many enemies and hat been so strongly opposed and those enemies have been countenanced and had all the humane advantages that this world could afford yet that poor contemptible despised and persecuted instruments should preserve this Doctrine from corruption and that this Doctrine should remain as the three Children in the fiery furnace having not a hair of their heads singed this is the wonderful Providence of God 3. In animating so many thousands to bear witness to this Doctrine with their lives Mr. Fox in his Martyrlogie tells us to reckon up all the Saints that have sealed to the truth of this Doctrine with their blood in the several ages of the Church would amount to no less than five thousand for every day in the year But this hath been observed by all that not only men of courage but timorous women and not only the Learned but illiterate not only the Souldier but others have been animated and assisted by God that they have rather parted with their lives than these Truths this was the great Controversie in the Maryan Persecution And it is impossible that this Doctrine should ever have passed through so much fire and blood in so many Ages if an extraordinary Spirit had not supported them and enabled them to bear their testimony These Arguments shew that it is a Doctrine of very great concernment to the Church and People of God Partic. 2. That the great and principal acknowledgmeat that God expects from all that do partake of this great and eminent priviledge is that they should do their utmost to adorn this Doctrine of God our Saviour To adorn it what is that To render it amiable beautiful and lovely that this Doctrine may be more taking with them that are strangers to it as in v. 5. that the Word of God be not blasphemed and the chief Commendation we can do to this Doctrine is practical Conformity to it as the Apostle advises Eph 4.1 I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called That you walk becoming the Gospel Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel that it be meet that it be such as may adorn it And how this may be how we may adorn the Gospel how we may walk worthy of the Gospel the Apostle tells us Phil 1.11 being filled with the fruits of Righteousness This is to adorn the Gospel 1 Pet. 2.9 That they should shew forth the the virtues and praises of him who hath called them c. as an apt Scholar that is much improved in Learning is a praise to his Master St. Paul calls the Corinthians his Commendation so a gratious Christian is a Commendation to the Doctrine of Christianity These Rules are sublime and high this is the Christians Motto we do not speak great words but we live great things This is the charge that our Saviour gives toall his hearers but especially to those he imploys in the capacity of the Apostles Mat. 5 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven to glorifie this Doctrine is by giving occasion to to others to glorifie it to have it in high esteem our Saviour there doth not perswade men to seek vain glory to seek applause and esteem with men to gain reputation among others but that they may glorifie God Let your light so shine before men c. This light may be understood of the light of the Doctrine of God but it must also be understood of the light of their Conversations Now to shew wherein all Christians are in a capacity of adorning this Doctrine of God our Saviour In general By walking exactly according to the Rules of this Doctrine as the councel of the Apostle is Eph. 5.15 See then ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise To walk cicumspectly is to walk exactly as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek signifies Walk exactly and this is your wisdom and not to walk exactly is the greatest folly not as fools but as wish And oh what a lovely thing would Christianity appear to be in the eyes of them that are strangers to it was there but that exactness in our lives that this Doctrine by its several Rules teacheth I shall speak to three things in opening this 1. As to our Carriage to towards God 2. Towards others To our Enemies 2. Towards others To our Friends 3. Towards our selves 1. In respect of our Carriage towards God in following God fully This Doctrine teacheth us to serve God with all out might and strength this is exemplified by several paterns in Scripture My soul followeth hard after thee thou art my right hand And of Caleb it 's said Numb