Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A03268
|
The abridgement of the gospell: or The order and course of mans saluation as it is set foorth by Zacharie the father of Iohn Baptist, Luke 1. 67. &c. and further opened in ten sermons thereupon: by Sam. Hieron.
|
Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617.
|
1609
(1609)
|
STC 13386; ESTC S118877
|
96,426
|
126
|
If thou didst dwell in an estate of land of which thou couldest shew no better euidence thou wouldest thinke to bee quickly shut out of doores The Lord hath precisely set downe particulars such hath beene his care to establish our faith if wee let the Scripture lie like some needlesse Historie turning ouer as too many doe the cardes oftner than the leaues of the Bible that wee might be able to say as euery Christian ought Thus it is written and thus I beleeue well may wee talke of faith but that faith should be where there is such little experience in the rule and life ground of faith which is the Scripture it is vnpossible These things were written that we might beleeue x Ioh. 20.31 Doest thou not know what is written how shouldst thou then be able to beleeue The second doctrine of the place is The 2. Doctrine That God from the worlds beginning foretold by Prophets all things concerning Christ This is manifest out of the course of the place in hand is easily confirmed First in generall it is said that vnto Christ al the Prophets giue witnes y Act. 10.43 Christ appealed to the Scriptures of the old Testament z Ioh. 5.39 and in his discourse with the two disciples iourneying to Emmaus he found in euery of the prophets something touching himselfe a Luk. 24.27 Secondly if any shall exactly peruse the old Testament he shall finde euery specialty touching Christ distinctly set downe as namely when he should be borne b Gen. 49.10 where he should bee borne c Mic. 5.2 of what stocke d Psal 132.11 of what kinde of woman e Isay 7.14 what maner of person both God f Isay 19.6 and Man g Gen. 3.15 how he should bee entertained h Isay 53.2.3 c. for what end hee should come i Isa 61.1.2.3 by whom he should be betraied k Psal 41.9 what maner of death he should die l Numb 21.9 with Ioh. 3.14 how he should be vsed in his execution m Psal 22. at large where he should be buried n Isay 53.9 how long hee should abide in the graue o Ioh 1.17 with Math. 12.40 that he should rise from death p Psal 16.10 that he should ascend into heauen q Psal 68.18 with Eph. 4.8 These many more circumstances than these the Prophets from the worlds beginning did set downe very exactly so that there was nothing befell Christ from the first moment of his conception vntill the last period of his time heere on earth I meane of those things which are reuealed to haue befallen him and which befell him as our Mediatour of which a man experienced in the Scripture might not truely saie Thus and thus it hapned as the Lord spake by his Prophets c. Besides the ceremonies in the Temple and Tabernacle in the daily Sacrifices and Sacrificers all of them shadowing out something or other in the Christ to come who was the substance of euery type and the bodie of euerie representation It is woorthy any mans paines to marke and obserue how the whole mystery of Christ is lapped vp in the Prophecies of the old Testament and how the same is explaned laid open and vnfolded in the storie and application of the new The pith and marrow and substance of both being this Iesus Christ yesterday to day and the same for euer r Heb. 13.8 The reason heereof on Gods part is twofold First the confirmation of our Faith These things were written that we might beleeue Å¿ Ioh. 20.31 Our faith by this course is strengthned after this maner we see by this exact foretelling of the Prophets that the whole course of our saluation is a matter framed by God and the whole order thereof in euery part and limme set downe in his eternall wisedome and prouidence out of which wee may gather and conclude the certeintie thereof inasmuch as a plot which God hath laid all the power of Sathan cannot alter Secondly many base wrongs many vile vsages and indignities befell our Sauiour in the daies of his flesh the consideration whereof might make a man to doubt whether he could be the Sauiour of mankinde But when we see that euerie such specialtie is foretold by the Prophets and so that nothing came to passe but according to Gods appointment and that for some speciall end that doubt is remooued and those particulars of his debasement become grounds of comfort and of reioicing vnto vs. The Vse Now for a vse of this doctrine wee see heere as in a glasse the care which God hath had in all ages from the verie cradle as it were of the world for the good and comfort of his Church Hee hath not kept a word backe which might be for the necessarie information thereof Euerie age hath beene furnished with Prophets and euerie prophet furnished with gifts to instruct the Church in the mysterie of Christ It is a true saying that the Lord did still reueale his secrets to his seruants the Prophets t Amos 3.7 And the Prophets were all like Moses faithfull in all Gods house u Heb. 3.5 and like Paul they kept nothing backe that was profitable but shewed all the counsell of God x Act. 20.20.27 Wherefore may not God then say as of old What could I haue done anie more y Isay 5.6 If wee now remaine ignorant and vnsetled in religion ready to bee caried about with euery winde of doctrine z Ephe. 4.14 Where is the fault and against whom will yee plead God hath not beene wanting to vs neither yet is but heere is the miserie of it and that which will make hell euen readie to burst with damned soules My people will not heare my voice Israel will none of me a Psa 81.11 Light is come but men loue darknes more than light b Ioh. 3.19 The Sermons of the Prophets are recorded read expounded but we will not heare them we say rather with those wicked ones Depart from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy waies c Iob. 21.14 Let vs remember what is said Vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen of him shal be much required d Luk. 12.48 We haue the mystery of Christ foretold by the Prophets explaned by the Euangelists applied and enforced by the writings of the Apostles pressed neerer to vs and made more familiar by continual preaching our ignorance is without excuse our blood will be vpon our owne heads our portion will bee deeper in the pit of hell than the Indians and Moores and Tartars which neuer had the like meanes of spirituall information The third instruction stands thus The 3. Doctrine That that which was vttered by the mouth of the Prophets God spake so are the words As he spake by the mouth c. The mouth of the Prophets deliuered those things but it was by direction and inspiration
of it and to the reproch of the profession thereof thou art an enemie to his Maiestie and one of those whom he will consume with the breath of his mouth and whom with the rod of his wrath he will breake in peeces like a potters vessell We are now come to the second point the place where this Horne of saluation is raised vp In the house of his seruant Dauid That we may make the best vse of this place wee must consider in what state Dauids house was then when Zacharie endited this Hymne The House of Dauid was the stocke royall and to his lawfull heires belonged the crowne of Iudah but at this time Dauids kingdome was decaied the glorie of it was dimmed and defaced the gouernment and soueraigntie was fallen to strangers the next heire as the right of his succession was not ordinarily and vniuersally knowne so he liued in poore estate Ioseph was become a Carpenter Out of this decaied familie of Dauid was this Horne of saluation raised It did bud z Psal 132.17 out of this dead stocke euen as a roote out of a dry ground a Isay 53.2 Thus at once were ioyned in Christs person Nobilitie and Pouertie Nobilitie in regard of his birth hee was of Dauids stocke Pouertie in respect of his present estate the glorie and pompe of the kingdome being quite ouerthrowne Out of this foure profitable points are to be obserued The 3. Doctrine The first is That that Christ in whom we beleeue is the verie same which was to come into the world and besides whom 〈…〉 is to be looked for The Scripture had foretold that it should be the sonne of Dauid and rise out of his stocke The Lord hath sworne in trueth vnto Dauid and hee will not shrinke from it saying Of the fruit of thy body will I set vpon thy throne b Psal 132.11 He shall sit vpon the throne of Dauid c Isay 9.7 I will raise vnto Dauid a righteous branch d Ier. 23.5 As it is cleere in the old Testament that the Messias should be made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh so the new Testament euidently sheweth how the same was fulfilled in Christ for this cause the Euangelists doe labour to make manifest the descent of Ioseph and Marie from Dauid Matthew e Matth. 1. maketh it plaine how notwithstanding the meane estate which Ioseph was fallen into yet the right of the kingdome rested in him Luke f Cap. 3. sheweth how Marie was naturally descended out of Dauids loines Both Matthew and Luke ioine in Zorobabel and from him deriue the line both of Ioseph and Marie of Ioseph by Abiud g Math. 1.13 of Marie by Rhesa h Luk. 3.27 So that our Sauiour by Marie was borne of Dauid by Ioseph was next heire to the crowne For although he came not of Ioseph according to the flesh yet being the next of his kinne and Ioseph being childlesse hee was by the law of force among the Iewes to succeed him as his lawfull heire This right of Christs was apparent the Starre i Mat. 2.2 shewed it Herod k Vers 7. perceiued it Christ acknowledged it l Ioh. 18.37 Pilate granted it m Ioh. 19.15 and the Iewes when that matter was questioned before Pilate could not tell whom to name against Christ but Caesar n In the same verse This serueth notably for the confirmation and setling of our faith in a point of the greatest moment The Vse and in which it is dangerous to be mistaken For what reason haue wee to relie vpon Christ for saluation vnlesse wee bee assured that he is the anointed of God euen that very Sauior vpon whom we may boldly depend Our Sauiour told vs that there shall arise false Christs o Mat. 24.23 how shall we be able to discouer them and auoid deceit by them if wee be not setled in this point It is good for vs therefore to 〈◊〉 how the old and new Testament doe heerein agree 〈◊〉 out of the harmonie of both we may for the grounding 〈◊〉 our faith deriue a comfortable conclusion The 4. Doctrine The second point obserued from hence is That our Sauiour Christ is a person of great nobilitie euen the noblest that euer was For one way he was the eternall Son of the most high another way as man lineally descended from the Patriarks renowmed kings of Iudah It is a very Honorable stile which is giuen him in Scripture far surpassing the royall stile of any earthly monarch Wonderfull Counseller The mighty God the Euerlasting Father The Prince of Peace p Isay 9.6 I will make said the Lord my first borne higher than the kings of the earth q Psal 89.27 And therefore both kings and Iudges are willed to kisse r Psa 2.10.12 him and to doe homage to him and the verie Angels also are commanded to worship him ſ Heb. 1.6 And whereas all kingdomes haue their ends and the greatest Princes die as men and fall as others t Psal 82.7 his Throne is for euer and euer u Heb. 1.8 The Vse This teacheth men of birth and blood not to stand too much vpon their Pedegrees and Ancestors as though Nobilitie stood principally in this that man is borne of man If they affect the true nobilitie they must labour to be the children of God by regeneration in Christ This is the best ornament of blood Noble birth without new birth in Christ is but an earthly vanitie Though a man bee able to shew neuer so glorious a line of progenitors yet if hee bee not a repentant sinner hee is but base and vile in the sight of God To be by faith ingraffed into Christ is the true Honor this doeth inuest a man into that royaltie which is in the Person of Christ and maketh him both to bee an heire of the Earth and to haue a title of inheritance into heauen The 5. Doctrine The third obseruation hence standeth thus That wheras Christ albeit of Dauids stocke and heire apparant to the crowne came notwithstanding when the outward glorie of the kingdome was vtterly gone therefore The kingdome of Christ is no earthly kingdome My kingdome said he himselfe to Pilate is not of this world x Ioh. 18.36 Heereupon was his withdrawing when the people sought him to make him king y Ioh. 6.15 and his refusal when he was requested to determine a case of inheritance betwixt two brethren a Luk. 12.13 and his charge to his Apostles not to bee as the Lords of the Gentiles b Math. 20.25.26 It is one of the Iewes errors to thinke otherwise and his Disciples were long caried away with that conceit for euen at the point of his ascension they propounded him a question that way Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel c Act. 1.6 But Christ came purposely when the