Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n
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A43608
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Waters of Marah drawn forth in two funerall sermons, October 1653 and since (upon desire) enlarged / by Henry Hibbert ...
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Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678.
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1654
(1654)
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Wing H1794; ESTC R20133
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61,480
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191
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in their doctrine would be carefull to lighten in their conversation Gregor Naziaâz We have an Age can readily retort Dost not thou feare God Luk. 23.40 seeing thou art in the same condemnation And againe Rom. 2.21 Thou that art instructed out of the Law and teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Moreover you are not ignorant of my frequent returnes about this season how I was forced to afford so many buds and blossomes as little ripe fruit could be expected No more lest the Porch unbefit the Palace I here present you with what you had before something amplified Not waters of Meribah but Marah as more sutable to my own solitary temper and safe for you Accept my first-borne And if God give leave againe to turne the Cock perhaps the Cisterne may afford you sweeter Waters In the meane time and ever Phil. 4.9 The God of peace be with us Kingston upon Hull Jan. ult 1654. Christians I am your servant in Christ Iesus for the help of your faith Henry Hibbert Waters of Marah ZECHARIAH 12. Part of the tenth ver As one that is in bitternesse for his first-born THis Prophesie may not unfitly be compared with the yeaning of Labans flock Gen. 30.39 or those heavenly messengers mentioned in the beginning of it Cap. 1. Ver. 8. being chequered with various colours for it is mixed and made up of divers ingredients viz. reproofe exhortation comfort c. In this Chapter our Prophet an holy Herald fetteth the silver Trumpet to his mouth and in the name of God soundeth a gracious retreat to the Jewish Nation The firmament is not more full of spangled stars then Scripture is of precious Prophesies and promises concerning their calling and conversion And although they are as yet blinded and bowed downe yea Rom. 11. stark dead and dry yet God hath not cast away his people but will one day say of Israel his first-born as the Father said of the prodigall Child being returned Luk. 15.32 This my sonne was dead but now is alive If any aske how this people should be made capable of so great mercy Ver. 10. The answer is plaine I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications That is the presence operation gifts and graces of the Spirit who is both the worker of grace and former of prayer in the heart See Rom. 8.26 Note the best of men are but dry Cisterns and empty Casks untill such time as the Spirit drop upon them We are nothing we can do nothing not a prayer not a teare not a warme desire after Christ till the Spirit come And this effusion shall produce a double effect for First They shall looke upon Christ whom they have pierced Here is Conversion Formerly they turned their backs on Christ looking upon Moses and the Law Ceremonies and selfe-righteousnesse But now contrary winds shall drive them contrary courses These sweet gales of the Spirit shall make them face about they shall only mind a crucified Christ and seeke righteousnesse and life from him alone Truly Jer. 3.23 in vaine is Salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of Mountaines Truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel And secondly They shall lament over Christ They shall mourne for him Here is compunction Oh! That ever their fathers Mittunt legatot pro suis doloribus Lachrymas Cypr. and themselves by their sins should have so persecuted vilipended and crucified the Son of God! Now sadnesse is seated upon their hearts They are wholly clad in mourning All their Songs are Lachrymae And thus a poore soule made senfible of sin doth supple it selfe in teares of godly sorrow Which sorrow of theirs is further amplified and set out two manner of waies First By the particularity of it They shall mourne every Family apart Ver. 12. That is in this duty husbands and wives shall not stay for each other but every one shall so conceive sorrow and be big-bellied with griefe that they shall Joseph-like withdraw themselves seeking where to ease their hearts in showers of teares That is the best sorrow which is done in secret Note Commune with your owne heart saith David upon your bed Psal 4.4 and be still And our Saviour Christ who is the wisdome of the Father adviseth us very much unto retirednesse in duty and our heavenly Father which seeth in secret shall reward us openly Mat. 6. It is not dear Brethren it is not cutting of Antick-faces and contracting the countenance it is not grumbling forth vociferous groanes and uttering loud and hideous howlings to be seene and heard of men that will gaine acceptance No no Psal 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit But when a poore soule can sequester it selfe from carnall Company and sinfull Society get out of the noise of the world creepe into a corner and there fit melting in Gods presence surely such sorrow will prove sweet and successefull doubtlesse whosoever thus soweth in teares shall reape in joy Psal 125.6 Secondly By the extremity of it to expresse the greatnesse of which the Prophet compares it 1. To that mourning which was made for that religious and zealous Prince 2 Chro. 35.25 good King Josiah when he was slaine in the midst of his so hopefull Reigne Whose lamentations were written and made an Ordinance in Israel that is they did not only mourne at his Funerall but also at the death of others made mention of his losse lamenting the same in all their dolefull Elegies Even so shall they look upon Christ and mourn 2. To the sorrow of an indulgent naturall and tender-hearted Parent which takes up my Text They shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only Son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first-borne In which words there are two things considerable viz. 1. Comparatio a Comparison 2. Applicatio comparationis the application of that Comparison True it is the spirituall sense and maine scope of this Scripture lies in the later of these and would require a large prosecution but the first is for our present purpose The Comparison then is to be made out by a supplement thus Great is the sorrow and griefe of a naturall Parent for an only Son for a first-borne that is for the death of an only Son or first-borne The application is brought in by this particle of similitude as As one that is in bitternesse for his first-borne The Paraphrase runs thus Behold Heb. 12.9 any of you Fathers of the flesh that is an affectionate Parent and hath an only Child a sweet and tender Sprig an hopefull Bud should this Sprig be pluckt up and tender Bud nipped This Child be taken away by death O with what intensive griefe would you pore upon it With what reluctancy part with it With what