Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	book_n	dead_a	open_v	5,415	5	9.9361	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62379	The grand assises: or, The doctrine of the last generall judgment with the circumstances thereof: comprised and laid forth in a sermon preached at the assises holden for the county of Southampton at Winchester, on Wednesday, July 28, 1652. By William Sclater Doctor in Divinity, preacher of the word of God in Broadstreet, London.	Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1653 (1653)	Wing S918A; ESTC R218648	45,998	59

seasonable I hope for that occasion and generally usefull for these times intended as a Preservative against the growing malady of this corrupt age Atheisin Being straitned by the time and your important businesse ensuing this copious Theam as a Camell passing through a needles eye was compendiated into a narrow compass If your Lordship doe look upon it as in it self it is too mean a present for your acceptation but if on the affectionate Heart wherewith it is tendred to your Patronage you may judg it a great one It 's sometimes as Noble to accept small things as to conferre great such as it is it prostrates it selfe at your feet beseeching an entertainment in finding whereof his Devotions shall bee enlarged for your blisse Who is MY LORD Your Lordships humble Orator and Servant William Sclater A SERMON Preached at the Assises holden for the County of Southampton at Winchester on Wednesday July 28 1652. REV. 20.11 12. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the Earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works HONORABLE BELOVED I Cannot but esteem it as the great favour of Heaven that in the revolution of a few months the Divine Providence hath brought me again hither and called mee to this Publick service on the same occasion I having the happinesse to speak in such a praesence wherein not the pompe of any elaborate or quaint Humane Oratory but the power of solid and sacred Divinity will be best regarded of which whilest I rest perswaded I shall humbly crave your Devotions that the same Hand which gave this opportunity would adde also a successe to this businesse It were a facility had I a mind to build a large Portall to my narrow house to entertain your patience a while with a discourse of this Book of the Revelation wherein there are so many * Rev 5.7 sealed Mysteries almost as Words or Sentences so (a) Mihi tota Apocalypsis valde obscura videtur talis cujus explicatio citra periculum vix queat tentari fateor me hactenus in nullius scripti Biblici lectione minus proficere quàm in hoc obscuro vaticinio Grascrus abstruse Aenigma's as none but a Divine Oedipus can unriddle them Insomuch that some of the greatest and those too most sanctified Scholars have acknowledged that they had rather (b) D. Rainolds of Oxford Divis 4. against Hart. c. 8. learn than teach it However some others who to themselves have seemed as the sons of (c) Num. 13.33 Anak of tall Imaginations have yet proved in the issue but like (d) Luk. 19.3 Zacheus little in the stature of sound Judgment and whilst they have gone about to give other men eyes to see John's Visions more clearly they have been overtaken unawares by their own (e) Job 20.8 Dreams and many of them outlived the date of their weak yet bold and daring Interpretations I cannot but appland the modesty of Cajeian none of the meanest among the Schoolemen who after he had Paraphrased the Epistles and Acts of the Apostles professed thus Apocalypsin fateor me nescire exponere juxta sensum literalem Hee was posed about the Literall sense of this Scripture more meet for his Wonder than his Exposition And good reason for it consisting of many Prophesies of things to come and those too clothed with Allegories and clad in Metaphors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to speak with (f) Sophocles in Antig. Nescia mens hominum fati sortisque futurae Virgil. Sophocles who could directly tell the sense till the event was seen that being the best Interpreter of dark praedictions Neverthelesse sith as it is in our English Proverb that Bones bring Meat to town that is Difficulties bring Comforts as in Sampson's Riddle Judg. 14.14 Out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetnesse that of the Ancient being true Paseit apertis excrect obscurts as the Lord is pleased to delight us with the clearer so to exercise us with the obscurer parts of Holy Writ and as the Doctor of the Gentiles assures us Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever was written was written for our Learning there being likewise some rills and brooks for the Lambe to wade in as well as deeps for the Elephant to swim in Give me leave I beseech you sith not of curiosity to feed fancy but of a zealous disquisition to discover verity I attempt it to withdraw the Curtain and to set open the Windowes of this Text that so the (g) 2 Cor. 4 6. light of divine truth in a bright serenity may (h) 2 Per. 1 19. shine in upon your Minds and Hearts to illuminate the one and to inflame the other for the best advantage of the whole soul And I saw a great white throne c. Under which form of words we have me thinks according to St. John's Vision The Grand Assises held upon the Day of the last generall Judgment described in variety of circumstances which as the carving or enamelling of some curious Watch doe exceedingly illustrate and adorn the same And as in some solemne businesse of great importance there are usually some antecedaneous introductories to raise expectation and win the greater veneration thereto so here we have something observable by way of praeparation and something also by way of action or dispatch The Praeparation consists of the supposalls foregoing Men were dead and those dead men againe risen and brought out of the prison of the grave and set to the Bar Death and the Resurrection from Death praecede the Judgment I saw the dead great and small stand before God The matter of Action or Dispatch is the Judgment it self following this Death and Resurrection The dead were judged according to their works The carriage or managing of this Judgement is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much what after the similitude of (i) Vt judicii species notior fieret Hominibus judicandi forma ex his quae inter Homines geruntur assumpta est Anselm Comment in Rom. 14. Humane Judicatures here upon earth save onely with this odds or difference That in this Grand Assises in my Text the Judges themselves must then stand forth before the God of all Judges even before the most dreadfull Tribunall of the onely Potentate the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords Regum timendorum in proprios greges Sen. tragoed Reges in ipsos Imperium est Jovis For howsoever it be the style of Magistrates in the Scripture to bee called Gods Psal 82.6 namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in regard of the Dignity of their office yet though they be sons of the most High they must die like Men

who then shall set all their sins though never so secret in order (w) Psal 50.51 before their faces even then when they shall be drag'd from the prison of their graves shackled in the chains of guilt and so arraigned and set to the Barre of Justice to stand before God And so I passe from what I termed the Arraignment to that which in the order of Judicature is called the Indictment which here stands entred upon record The Books were opened I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened I hasten By these Books thus here and in Dan. 7.10 said to be opened we may not apprehend any (x) Si hic liber carnaliter cogitetur quis ejus magnitudinem aut longitudinem valeat aestimare c. S. August de Civ Dei c. 4. materiall Volumes presented before the Lord with a Catalogue of the Names or actions of all men to be Judged as if the Lord did stand in need of any such Information Loe saith the Prophet Psal 139.5 Thou O Lord hast beset me behind and before searched me and known my thoughts words and actions Psal 11.4 The Lords Throne is in Heaven his eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men to the same purpose Job 34.21 (y) Hesiod lib 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Poet hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said an old Poet Philemon mentioned by (z) Iustin Martyr lib. de M●narchia Dei Justin Martyr the Platonists therefore called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inspector of all things and some Criticks in the Greek tongue are of an apprehension that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying God is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a word which denoteth an Vniversall seeing or beholding of things This searcher of all mens hearts doth alone (a) Hooker l. 3. p. 82. Eccles Polit. Intuitively know who are his saith learned Hooker The Lord Christ knoweth all things saith Peter Job 21.17 2.25 to the same purpose are those many other Texts Jer. 17.10 23.24 1 King 8.39 Psal (b) Cor renes in occulto latitant significatur ergo Deum abscondita cogitationum nostrarum scire 7.9 Job 42.2 3. But these Books are only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ascribed to the Lord by way of dignation or gracious condescension God speaking after the manner of men that men might the better conceive of the things of God and the meaning of them is that all things thought or said or done by men stand all as it were upon record and are all exactly remembred by the Lord and brought likewise afresh unto the memories of all men Psal 50.21 Setting them all in order before their eyes so that Austin thinks thereby quaedam vis est intelligenda divina a certain power of God is understood by means or by virtue whereof all the deeds of men are in a wonderfull serenity recalled to the remembrance ut accuset vel excuset scientia conscientiam that according as they prove to be science may either accuse or else excuse conscience And they are all called Books in the plurall number not in respect of the mind or of the knowledge of God which is a most pure and simple act but in respect of the variety of the objects or diversity of the things therein inscribed And yet Divines both for order and distinction sake have given severall Titles to these my sticall and spirituall Books 1 The first is the Book of Nature or of Providence whereof Psal 139.16 In thy Book are all my members written 2 The second is of Gods Remembrance Mal. 3.16 Psal 56.8 3. The Book of Mans Conscience which is Volumen grande as one calleth it a large volume wherein all things are written by the style of Verity and for the amending of which Book all other Books were invented so (c) S. Ambros ad Psal 1. S. Ambrose What are these Books opened saith hee but Conscience Non atramento scripti sed vestigiis delictorum flagitiorum inquinamento not written with Inke but stamped with the Impression of black Sinnes and most ugly Offences 4. The Book of Life Phil. 4.3 Rev. 3.5 by which is understood Catalogus Savandorum the Catalogue of the Elect whom God in Christ hath chosen from all Eternity unto Salvation who though they now be unknown yet shall then be more manifestly declared 5. To which some adde fiftly the Books of the Scriptures the Two Testaments All of these Books shall be perhaps at that day brought forth bound up together in one volume which being unclasped shall discover all matters how they have been transacted managed and done in the body 1 Tim. 5.25 26. Some mens sins are open before-hand going before to Judgment and some men they follow after likewise also the good works of some are manifest before-hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid that is some evil deeds are punished in this world to give notice that there is an eye of Providence that observes them here and some likewise are reserved for hereafter to shew that there is a Judgment to come The good works likewise of some follow them Rev. 14.13 that is the reward of their good works shall be imparted hereafter In summe The generall resolve in this matter is that by these Books opened are mainly meant the Consciences of all men the office of which is to (d) Rom. 2.14 15. accuse or to excuse according to the (e) Dr. Field l. 4. c. 33. of the Church privity that the soul hath to things good or ill known to none but to God and it self the Conscience being as it were Gods Register Book wherein all the sins of the Impenitent and Unregenerate or Castawayes with all their severall circumstances of aggravation are kept under their guilt uncancelled unstruck-out It 's true indeed that Actus transit but Reatus permanet the act of Sin was transient and momentany not so the guilt no that is written with a (f) Jer. 17.1 pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond and graven as it were in characters indeleble upon the table of their heart Jer. 17.1 And this is the Act of Conscience to be its own Testimony yea a thousand witnesses against it self Hence was that saying of (g) Lactant. l. 6. c. 24. Lactantius Quid prodest non habere Conscium habenti Conscientiam It is a true word of the Apostle God is greater then our Conscience 1 Joh. 3.20 and surely none but He Yet under that great God the Supreme power on earth within a man is the Conscience In this Microcosme of Man saith a devout (h) B. H. Soliq 51. edit 1651. Divine there is a Court of Judicature erected wherein next under God the Conscience sits as the Chief Justice from which there is no appeal if that condemne us or our actions in vain shall all the world besides acquit us and if that clear us