Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	death_n	sin_n	sting_n	1,797	5	12.9319	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12190	The returning backslider, or, A commentarie upon the whole XIIII. chapter of the prophecy of the prophet Hosea Wherein is shewed the large extent of Gods free mercy, even unto the most miserable forlorne and wretched sinners that may be, upon their humiliation and repentance. Preached by that learned and judicious divine, Dr. Sibbs, late preacher to the honourable society of Grayes Inne, and master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge. Published by his owne permission before his death.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1639 (1639)	STC 22500; ESTC S117394	275,564	592

bring mee forth in the light and I shall see his Righteousnesse If Adam sinne hee shall find a Hell in a Paradice if Paul returne and returne to God hee shall finde a Heaven in a Dungeon It should move us therefore to seeke unto God Vse 2 by unfained Repentance to have our sinnes taken away and pardoned or else howsoever wee may change our plagues yet they shall not bee taken away nay wee shall still like Pharoah change for the worst who though hee had his judgements changed yet sinne the cause remaining hee was never a whit the better but the worse for changing untill his finall ruine came Rom. 6.23 The wages of sinne is Death Sinne will crie till it hath its wages Where Iniquitie is there cannot but be falling into judgement Therefore they are cruell to their owne soules that walke in evill wayes for undoubtedly God will turne their owne waies upon their owne heads Wee should not therefore envie any man be hee what hee will who goeth on in ill courses seeing some judgement is owning him first on last unlesse he stop the current of Gods wrath by Repentance God in much mercie hath set up a Court in our hearts to this end that if wee judge our selves in this Inferiour Court wee may escape and not be brought up into the higher if first they be judged rightly in the Inferiour Court then there needs no review But otherwise if wee by Repentance take not up the matter sinne must be judged some where either in the Tribunall of the heart and conscience or else afterwards there must be a reckoning for it Vse 3 Thirdly hence wee learne since the cause of every mans miserie is his owne sinne that therefore all the power of the world and of Hell cannot keepe a man in miserie nor hinder him from comfort and happinesse if hee will part with his sinnes by true and unfained Repentance as we know Manasses 2 Chro. 33.12 13. as soone as he put away sin the Lord had mercie upon him and turned his captivity So the people of Israel in the Iudges looke how often they were humbled and returned to God still he forgave them all their sins as soone as they put away sinne God and they met againe Psal 106.43 44. Psal 107.19 So that if we come to Christ by true Repentance neither sinne nor punishment can cleave to us Thou hast fallen c. Fallen blindly as it were thou couldest not see which way thou wentest or to what end thy courses did tend therefore thou art come into misery before thou knowest where thou art A sinner is blind 1 Cor. 4. the god of this world hath put out his eyes they see not their way nor foresee their successe The Divell is ever for our falling that we fall into sinne and then fall into misery and so fall into despaire and into hell this pleaseth him Cast thy selfe downe saith he to Christ downe with it downe with it saith Edom Hell is beneath the Divell drives all that way Take heed of sinne take heede of blindnesse ponder the path of your feet Vse keepe your thoughts heaven-ward stop the beginnings the first stumblings pray to God to make our way plaine before us and not to lead us into temptation Verse 2. Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him c. These Israelites were but a rude people and had not so good meanes to thrive in grace as Iudah had Therefore hee prompts them here with such words as they might use to God in their returning Take with you words whereby we see how gratious God is unto us in using such helps for our recovery and pittying us more then we pitty our selves Is not this a sufficient warrant and invitation to returne when the party offended who is the superiour 2 Cor. 5. desires intreates and sues unto the offending guilty inferiour to be reconciled God is willing to be at peace with us But this is not all he further sheweth his willingnesse in teaching us who are ignorant of the way in what manner and with what expressions we should returne to the Lord. He giveth us not onely words and tells us what we shall say but also giveth his Spirit so effectually therwith as that they shall not be livelesse and dead wordes but as Rom 8.26 with unexpressible sighes and groanes unto God who heareth the requests of his owne Spirit Christ likewise teacheth us how to pray wee have words dictated and a spirit of Prayer powred upon us As if a great Person should dictate and frame a Petition for one who were affraid to speake unto him Such is Gods gratiousnesse and so ready is he in Jesus Christ to receive sinners unto mercy Take unto you wordes None were to appeare empty before the Lord at Ierusalem but were to bring something So it is with us we must not appeare empty before our God If we can bring nothing else let us bring wordes yea though broken wordes yet if out of a broken and contrite heart it will be a sacrifice acceptable This same taking of words or petitions in all our troubles and afflictions must needs be a speciall remedie it being of Gods owne prescription who is so infinite in knowledge and skill whence wee observe That They who would have helpe and comfort against all sinnes and sorrowes Observ must come to God with words of Prayer As wee see in Ionahs case in a matchlesse distresse words were inforcive and did him more good then all the world besides could for after that hee had bin humbled and praied out of the whales belly the whale was forced to cast him out againe Luke 15.18 So the Prodigall sonne beeing undone having neither credit nor coyne but all in a manner against him yet hee had words left him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to bee called thy sonne make mee as one of thy hired servants After which his father had compassion on him And good Hezekiah Isa 38.2 being desperately sicke of a desperate disease yet when hee set his faith a worke and tooke with him words which comfort onely now was left unto him wee know how after hee had turned his face towards the wall and prayed with words God not only healed him of that dangerous disease but also wrought a great miracle for his sake causing the Sunne to come backe ten degrees Thus when life seemed impossible yet words prayers and teares prevailed with God Iehoshaphat also going to warre with Ahab 2 Chron. 18.31 against Gods commandement and in the battell being encompassed with enemies yet had words with him readie and after prayer found deliverance James 5. Eliah likewise after a great drowth and famine when raine had bin three yeares wanting and all in a manner out of frame for a long time Tooke with him words and God sent raine aboundantly upon the earth againe The Reason

503. In which is shewen the priviledges and prerogatives of a man that is convinced in all temptations P. 503. 1. When God himselfe seemes to bee our enemie P. 503. 2. Against Satan P. 503. 3. Against our owne consciences P. 504 How we may know whether we be convinced of this righteousnesse The answer to this P. 504. Secondly but how shall I know that the Holy Ghost hath convinced me enough of sinne so that I may without presumption apply the righteousnesse of Christ 1. If the Holy Ghost have discovered my sinfull condition P. 504. 2. By the worke of the Spirit P. 505. 3. By inward peace and great joy P. 505. 4. Where this is it answers all objections P. 506. The use How we should live by faith P. 506. 2. How every day to make use of the righteousnesse of Christ P. 507. Wherefore did Christ goe to the Father 1. To make application of what he had wrought P. 508. 2. To send the Spirit P. 508. 3. To stop Satans mouth P. 508. 4. To make the Father our Father P. 508. 5. Sweet comforts at the hower of death P. 508. The use Great comfort in the hower of death P. 509 510. April 10. 1638. Imprimatur THO WYKES THE SAINTS Priviledge IOHN 16.8 9 10. When he is come he shall reproove the world of sinne righteousnesse and judgement Of sin because they beleeve not in me Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father Of judgement because the Prince of this world is judged Especially the 10. verse Of righteousnesse because I go to my Father and you shall see me no more OVR blessed Saviour descending from Heaven to Earth for the Redemption of man after he had accomplished that great worke he ascended thither againe And knowing his Disciples would take his departure very heavily hee labours to arme them against the assaults of all griefe and sorrow that might otherwise oppresse them and that by many arguments Among the rest this is not the least that when he is gone away he will send the Comforter unto them God never takes away any thing from his children but he sends them a better And this Comforter whom he promised to send shall beare them through in all their Ministery all function and in effect hee thus bespeakes them You my Disciples are to encounter with the world Be of good comfort my Spirit shall goe along with you and he shall reproove the world of sinne righteousnesse and judgement Of your selves you are too weake but the Spirit shall strengthen you and make way into the hearts of those that shall be saved by convincing them of sinne righteousnesse and judgement So that bee not discouraged the Spirit shall breath courage into you and make way for your doctrine When the Comforter is come he shall reproove the world of sinne and of righteousnesse and judgement Of sinne because they beleeve not in me Of righteousnesse because I goe to the Father Of judgement because the Prince of this world is judged There are three maine parts of salvation Knowledge of our misery knowledge of our deliverance and a life answerable The Holy Ghost shall worke all these he shall Convince the world of their owne sinne of righteousnesse by a Mediator and of a reformation of life So that the Holy Ghost shall goe along with you in the carriage of the whole businesse of mans salvation Where he begins he makes an end Where he Convinces of sinne he Convinces of righteousnesse and then of a necessity of a reformation he beares all afore him and he doth it in a spirituall order First he Convinces the world of sinne 1. Convincing of sin then of righteousnesse then of judgement because it were in vaine to Convince of the righteousnesse of Christ unlesse he hath before Convinced of sin For who cares for balme that is not wounded Who cares for a pardon that is not condemned therefore he Convinces of sin first I have spoken heretofore of Convincing of sinne Here is a threefold Convincing of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement and every one of these hath a reason added thereto Of sin because they beleeve not in me Of righteousnesse because I goe to my Father Of judgement because the Prince of this world is judged The Holy Ghost begins with Convincing of sin What is this Convincing It is a cleare and infallible demonstration of our condition What is this Convincing It brings a commanding light into the soule It sets downe the soule and takes away all cavills all turnings and windings To convince is to make a man as the Psalmists phrase is lay his hand upon his mouth Light is a convincing thing now we see the Sun we see it is day though ten thousand men should say it is not day we would not beleeve them because the convincing herof is undeniable that he must be an unreasonable man that gainesayes it So then the Spirit of God brings a commanding light into the soule undeniable thou art thus and thus here no shifting no winding and turning will serve the turne when the Holy Ghost comes with this light I doe but plainely unfold this This Conviction of the Holy Ghost is not in generall onely that all men are sinners but particular and strong thou art a sinner and thou art in danger of damnation And it is universall taking in sins of nature sins of life sins of the understanding will and affections and it is not of sinne onely but of the misery by sinne of the danger folly and madnesse of sinne and of the aggravations that greaten sinne as of stifling so many good motions withstanding so many meanes abusing so many mercies The Holy Ghost Convinces us throughly that wee can have nothing to reply Because I have spoken of this before I am short Beloved unlesse the Holy Ghost Convince there will be no Convincing our deceitfull hearts have so many windings and turnings proud nature armes it selfe with defences as a hedge-hogg winds himselfe round and defends himself by his pricks So you have many cloath themselves with strong words ill translations upon others frivolous mitigations the way of the multitude as with a coate of male to keep out this Conviction that did not the Holy Ghost strike in hard with their consciences Thou art the man this worke would never bee done Quest But you will aske me this Question how shall we know common Conviction of conscience from this of the Spirit for carnall men that goe to Hell are Convinced by a common Conviction what is this saving Conviction Answ I answer 1. Difference Common Conviction by the light of Nature is a weake Conviction a little sparke will shew a little light but it will not inlighten a roome it must be the worke of some greater light as the Sun the Spirit is a strong light stronger then naturall conscience Naturall conscience and common light is of some breaches of the second Table Naturall conscience never convinces of corrupt nature

is set downe a further effect of this Repentance and gratious worke in them A sound and strong well rooted Indignation against their former darling sinnes Ephraim shall say what have I any more to doe with Idols Backt with a strong Consolation I have heard him and observed him c. Verse 8. 6. The Divers Event and Jssue of this Gods so Gratious Dealing is shewed both in the godly and Wicked 1. The Wise and Prudent understand and know that the wayes of the Lord are right and shall walke in them But 2. The Transgressors shall fall therein Ver. 9. O Israel Returne unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine Iniquity Every word hath his waight and in a manner is an Argument to inforce this Returning O Israel Israel we know is a word of Covenant Iacob was Israel a Prince and Wrestler with God as they also ought to be Therefore he enforceth you also ought to Returne because you are Israel And 2. It was also an Incouragement for them to Returne because God so acknowledgeth them to be Israel and will be Gratious unto them though they were such hideous siners Returne saith Hee unto the Lord Iehovah Who is the chiefe good for when a man returneth to the creature which is a particular changable good unsatisfying the soule he is restlesse still untill he come unto Iehovah who is the all-sufficient universall good who fills and fills the soule abundantly therefore Returne to him who is the fountaine of all good and giveth a Beeing unto all things Ierem. 2.13 and not to broken Cisternes Hee is Iehovah like himselfe and changeth not And then He is thy God Therefore Returne to him who is thy God in Covenant who will make good his gratious Covenant unto thee and did choose thee to be his people before all the nations of the world this therefore is also an Incouragement to Returne And then Thou hast fallen by thine Iniquity Therefore because thou art fallen by thy Iniquities and thine owne Inventions have brought these Miseries upon thee and none but God can helpe thee out of these Miseries seeing he only can and is willing to forgive thy sinnes and revive thee Therefore O Israel Returne unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Now in that he forewarneth them of the fearefull Iudgements to come which were to fall upon them unlesse they were prevented by true Repentance hence in generall it is to be observed Obser That God comes not as a suddaine storme upon his people but gives them warning before hee smites them This is verified in Scripture when the crie of Sodome and Gomorrah was great Gen. 18.20.21 The Lord said Because the Cry of Sodome and Gomorrah is great and because their sinne is very grievous I will goe downe now and see whether they have done altogether according to the crie of it which is come unto me and if not I will know And wherefore was the Arke of Noah so long in building but to give warning to that sinnefull age which were nothing bettered by it The like we have of Pharaoh Exod. 11.1 and all the Egyptians who had so many warnings and miracles shewed before their destruction came Thus God dealt in Amos Therfore thus will I do unto thee and because I will doe this unto thee Amos. 4.12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israell O Hierusalem Matth. 23.37 Hierusalem saith Christ thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a henne gathereth the chickens under her wings and ye would not What need wee stand upon proofes are not all the Threatnings of Scripture as so many warning peeces of approaching Iudgements The Reason hereof is His owne nature hee is a Reason 1 God of long suffering Exod. 34 6. he made the world in six dayes yet hath continued it six thousand yeares notwithstanding the many sinnes and provocations thereof His mercies being over all his works Psal 145.9 And partly from a speciall regard to his owne Reason 2 deare children these terrible thretnings not being killing and wounding but like Ionathans warning Arrowes who though he shot yet ment no other harme to David 1. Sam. 20. Vse save to forewarne him of harme Let us therefore observe Gods gratious and milde dealing in so much mercy who giveth us so many warnings by his servants lesser judgments which wee have had amongst us Let us take notice and believe so as beliefe may stirre up feare and feare may provoke care and care stirre up indeavours to provide us an Arke even a hiding place beimes before winter and worse times come upon us Hence issueth another generall Point Observ That The best provision for preventing of destruction is spirituall meanes God himselfe is a Spirit and spirituall means reach unto him who is the first mover of the great wheele of all the affaires of this world It is preposterous to beginne at the second cause we trouble our selves in vaine there when wee neglect the first Wee should therefore begin the worke in Heaven and first of all Take up that quarrell which is betwixt God and our soules If this be done first we need not feare the carriage of second things Rom. 8.28 all which God out of his good providence and gratious care will frame to worke for good to his for whose sakes rather then helpe should faile he will create new helpes Isa 4.5 Wherefore in all things it is best to beginne with God The third generall point is this That Obser Of all Spirituall meanes The best is to returne to the Lord. In Returning 1 There must be a stop In this Returning 1. There must be a stop those who have run on in evill waies must first stop their lewd courses for naturally from our birth and childhood we are posting on to Hell and yet such is our madnesse unlesse the Spirit of God shew us our selves to be angry with these who stand in our way To make this stop then which is alwayes before Returning 1. There must be Examination and Consideration whether our wayes tend there be stopping Considerations which both waken a man and likewise put rubs in his way If a man upon Examination find his waies displeasing unto God disagreeing from the Rule and consider what will be the end and issue of them nothing but death and damnation and withall consider of the day of Iudgment The houre of Death The all-seeing eye of God and the like So the Consideration of a mans owne wayes and of Gods wayes towards him partly when God meetes him with goodnesse I have hitherto beene a vile wretch and God hath beene good to me and spared me and partly when God stops a wicked mans waies with thornes meetes him with crosses and afflictions these will worke upon an ingenious spirit to make him have better thoughts

degree of sinne to another then there is Gods judgement and wrath revealed from Heaven against this Now when God heales he heales perfectly but in some regards slowly as wee shall see hereafter In regard of Forgivenesse of sinnes he healeth perfectly but by little and little in regard of the other of Sanctification he stops up the issues of our corruption by little and little For other things and judgements in this world he remooves the malice and takes away the sting of them which is the venome as he saith afterwards For mine Anger is turned away which being remooved and turned from things then they are no more judgements What cared Paul for imprisonment Acts 16. when hee knew Gods wrath accompanied not the stocks let wrath be taken from the suffering that the soule be sound then it is no matter what condition a man be in he carries Heaven and Paradice with him Therefore so farre God remooves those diseases and sicknesses of condition as they carrie venome in them so changing the condition that whatsoever we suffer it hath the nature of an exercise medicine or correction onely But that which invenomes all and makes the least crosse a curse Psal 89.46 and sinkes deepe is the anger of God joyned with things The least crosse when it carrieth with it the anger and vengeance of God and reports that to the soule I have offended God and it is just with him thus to inflict wrath upon me this is terrible and it puts a sting to the crosse Now God here promiseth to remoove that I will heale their backsliding This principally in the first place is meant of healing in regard of Iustification taking away that guilt from the soule which inthralls it and binds it over to condemnation and judgement God will set the soule at a spirituall liberty and so heale it Thus you see the point cleere That God is the great Physitian of the soule Reason 1 For God who made the soule knowes all the diseases windings and turnings of it he is an excellent Anatomist Heb 4.13 all things are naked and open before his eyes he knowes the inward part of the soule the seate of all sinne We know not our selves as he knowes us there is a mistery of selfe-deceit in the heart which he knowes who can search all the hidden corners of the heart which is the Reason why he is so good a Physitian and so excellent because he is a discerner and searcher of the heart who can see all and so can cure all being above the sting of conscience he hath a remedy above the malidy he is greater then our conscience therefore hee can cure our conscience Reason 2 And in the next place as hee can heale our soules so hee is willing to doe it which his willingnesse we may know by the medicine he doth it by his owne deare Sonne hee hath provided a plaister of his Sonnes blood to heale us And besides his owne inward willingnesse being now a gratious Father to us in Christ Jesus 2 Cor 5. ●0 he sends his Ambassadors to heale and cure us in his Name to apply his medicines and to beseech and intreate us to be reconciled God by them intreats us to intreat him for pardon and mercy and is so willing to be intreated that ere we shall sit out hee teacheth us words as we heard Take unto you words c. as he is an able so hee is a willing Physitian Christ the great Physitian together with his Father expects not that we should first come to him but he comes first and sends to us 1 Ioh. 4 9 10. The Physitian came to the sick though for the most part the sicke if able goe to the Physitian But here is the contrary hee came from Heaven took our nature upon him and therein died by which his blood-shedding he satisfied the wrath of God justly offended with us Isa 53.10 So he heales our soules that way having undergone the anger and wrath of God that his blood might quench and appease that anger Isa 53.11 12. by a plaister thereof made and applied to our soules Doe we doubt of his willingnesse Gods willingnes to save us Mat. 11.28 when hee comes to us and calls us Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest It is his Office which he hath assumed to heale our soules The many cures he hath done sheweth the ability and willingnesse of the Physitian cures whereof we are uncapable of by reason of our meane condition A King as his place is greater so sometimes his sinnes are greater then others are 2 King 33.12 yet he cured Manasseth that sinnefull King together with Mary Magdalen Paul Peter and the rest who were a company healed by this Physitian Therefore all this is for the glory of our Physitian we may see what he can doe by what he hath done as amongst us Physitians are sought after according to their skill and cures done Consider in the Sacrament how ready God is to cure and to heale us how gratious he is in the Sacrament of Baptisme wherein he ingageth us to beleeve Psal 119.49 admitting us into the Covenant and preventing us with mercy before we knew what a Covenant or Seale was And so to perswade us of his willingnesse to forgive our sinnes and heale our Rebellions hee hath ordained the Sacrament not for his sake but to strengthen our weake faith and help us The point is easie for matter of our understanding but hard in regard of use and Application especially when it should be made use of in time of temptation then let us lay it up as a comfortable point this gratious Promise of God I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely c. Lay this up against the houre of temptation make use of it then alleadging unto God his owne Promise and nature as David did Lord remember the Promise wherein thou hast caused me to trust Ezek. 16.6 Thou hast promised pardoning and healing of all our transgressions c. Remember thy free Promises made in Jesus Christ God cannot denie himselfe nor his Word but loves to have his bonds sued remember this And when conscience is surprised with any sinne though it be never so great looke not on the disease so much as who is the phisitian and what his plaister and medicine is God is the Phisitian and the blood of Christ is the Plaister What if our sinnes be mountaines Mic. 7.18 19. there is an ocean and a sea of mercie to swell above and cover these mountaines of our sinnes Our sinnes in this case are like fire which falling into the sea is by and by quenched What if our sinns bee of never so long standing as these their backeslidings heere had continued hundreds of yeares wherein they were a backesliding generation yet it is no matter of what standing or continuance the disease is