Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A46627
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A sermon preached at Guildhall-Chappel Decemb. 24, 1682 before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor &c. by John James.
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James, John, b. 1649.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing J428; ESTC R28735
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23,041
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39
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reject the Devil and despise the World to avoid every occasion of sin Jam. 4.7 1 Joh. 2.15 1. Thess 5.22 and appearance of evil and whatever things are true whatever things are honest whatever things are just whatever things are pure whatever things are lovely whatever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise seriously to think of these things and faithfully to do them Phil. 4.8 9. More particularly Heb. 11.3 1 Tim. 6.15 16 it requires men to acknowledge one God the Creator and Governours of the World to conceive him as an infinite and incomprehensible Being to testifie the inward reverence and devotion of their hearts Rom. 12.1 2. by the most ready and universal obedience to his Will to love him for his Goodness to stand in awe of his Justice and his Power 1 Joh. 4.8 Mat. 10.28 Mat. 6.25 1 Thess 5.18 Joh. 4.24 to depend upon his Providence for their protection and to express their thankfulness for the receipt of his Mercies to be serious in all parts of his Worship to live always as in his presence and to manifest their respect to God by their reverend behaviour to every thing that is appropriate to his service or participates of his nature Faithfully to believe all divine Revelations humbly to submit to all the dispensations of his Providence and sincerely to observe all the manifestations of his Will and Pleasure To believe on the Son of God as the Saviour of the World the great Doctor and Governour of the Church Mat. 1.21 Jam. 4.12 1 Tim. 2.5 and the alone Mediator between God Man It prescribes the particular Offices engaging men to a due regulation of all their thoughts words and deeds that do immediately respect their own persons Luke 21.34 It directs them to Temperance and Moderation in eating and drinking in sleeping and recreation to Chastity and Purity both in the married and unmarried estate to Humility and Modesty in the disposition and carriage of men Acts 24.16 To restrain every unruly Passion within the bounds of Reason and to regulate every the most lawful Affection according to the rules of Religion To guide and manage their Behaviour with sobriety and understanding and to order their Discourse with gravity and discretion It lays down also the most excellent Rules of Charity and Justice toward their Neighbours obliging every man to the greatest Sincerity Uprightness and Integrity to each other Mat. 5.23 24 25. Rom. 13.7 to an universal Innocence and Harmlesness in all actions to make Compensation where Offences have been committed to carry a due Respect and Reverence proper to the several Orders and Degrees of men to observe all the positive Acts of Justice distributive and commutative according to the Offices of that Calling wherein divine Providence hath disposed man's Station and to observe all the duties of Love and Charity which the necessities of others require Gal. 6.10 and the abilities of men do qualifie them for In a word the Christian Profession is so pure so undefiled a Religion that it prohibits the least impurity and gives no license to the smallest sin for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Secondly It propounds the most convincing Arguments to encourage men against the Wiles and Temptations of the Devil and to perswade them to the sincere and constant practice of Vertue and Goodness It threatens the Wicked with the Wrath and Indignation of God at present and promiseth to the Vertuous and Good the Providence of God as his infinite Wisdom shall judge most expedient for them But because it is manifest God doth not call Mankind to an account in this World nor deal with them in strict Justice according to their deserts for his external Dispensations are very promiscuous both to the Good and Bad therefore the Gospel doth seriously present to the consideration of men an infallible certainty of a Judgment to come when God shall render to every man according to his works Acts 17.31 2 Pet. 3.10 2 Thess 1.7 Mat. 25.30 ad fin 2 Cor 5.10 It informs us of the nature of the Judge the dreadful preparation for his coming to Judgment the terrible appearance of his Majesty the great proceedings of that day and the irreversible Sentence past upon all concerned in it that we may be confidently assured there are Rewards in store for every man that the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him and the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him It represents the greatest fulness and exuberancy of divine Love Rom. 2.7 8 9 10. Life and Immortality to the Vertuous and Good but the utmost severity of divine Justice Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish to the Vicious and Bad. It assures to all that live according to the Rules of that holy Institution eternal and solid Bliss both in Body and Soul that the one which was corruptible shall put on incorruption which was sown in dishonour shall be raised in glory which was sown in weakness shall be raised in power 2 Cor. 15.42 43. And the faculties of the other so eminently transformed that the Understanding which now seeth the most perspicuous things but darkly and through a Glass shall be endued with the greatest measure of knowledge and entertained with the clearest sight of the divine nature to behold with infinite satisfaction the glorious attributes of God and the wonderful Counsels and effects of them all in his works of Providence toward his several Creatures The Will and Affections shall be perfectly transformed into the divine likeness that Anger Envy Hatred and such troublesome Passions shall be utterly abolished Desire shall be sped into Fruition and Hope shall be swallowed up in Victory and those delightful and ravishing affections of Love and Joy shall survive and remain to the eternal consolation of Soul and Body But it threatens the Wicked that they shall be turned into hell and all the people that forget God Mark 9.24 26. where are Flames so quick and scorching that they shall seize upon Soul and Body Torments that shall always be beginning never ending which the damned themselves by their Malice shall increase and by the gnashing of their Teeth shall help to be their own Executioners So that those who comply with the Wiles and Temptations of the Devil must expect a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour them Heb. 10.27 but those who resist that evil Spirit and seriously renounce his works may expect that glorious