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A09780
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The fauourite: or, A plaine demonstration from Holy Scripture of Gods especiall loue to the righteous, in a sermon preached at S. Andrewes in Norwich, the 18. of Nouemb. 1611. since enlarged and newly published for the comfort of Gods people. By Timo: Plummer preacher of Gods word
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Plummer, Timothy.
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1622
(1622)
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STC 20050; ESTC S105176
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25,009
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62
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Gods reuealed will the onely rule of righteousnes 2. Cor 3.18 1. Cor. 15.49 and that from one degree vnto another vntill at the last hee hath Gods image repayred and restored in as ample and better manner then euer it was at the first Psal 17.15 Eph. 5.27 to the prayse and glory of Gods rich grace VVHen on the contrary a wicked man is such an one A description of a wicked man Ephes 2.1 1. Tim. 5 6. Eph. 4.18 2. Tim. 2.26 Eph. 2.3 1. Cor. 2.14 Phil. 2.13 Prou. 15.8 Esa 26.10 as beeing the cursed off-spring of rebellious Adam is by Gods eternall and iust appointment left in that damnable estate who beeing dead in sinnes and trespasses that is to say hauing his minde darkened his will captiuated his affections disordered is not able to vnderstand will or doe any thing pleasing vnto God in the whole course of his life yea notwithstanding all the meanes God vseth and fauour he sheweth to reclayme him there is none effectuall vnto him he will not learne righteousnesse but dayly walke in the willfull breach of Gods righteous Lawe waxing worse and worse and treasuring vnto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath 2. Tim. 3.13 Rom. 2.5 â— and reuelation of the righteous iudgment of God FIrst if wee now make a suruay of the face of the world 1. Vse wee shall finde the wicked swarme and gather together in great multitudes but for men qualified according to our description of the righteous man the number will be very small so that we may haue iust cause to obserue and bewaile the paucitie and fewnesse of those that are truly righteous God in the old world found onely Noah that righteous man and a preacher of righteousnesse 2. Pet. 2.5 Gen. 7.1 Thee haue I found righteous before mee in this generation In Sodom and Gomorrha there was not found ten righteons men though they might haue saued the whole Cities from perdition Gen. 18. Onely Lot is deliuered that righteous man that dwelt amongst them who seeing and hearing 2. Pet. 2.7 vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes Iob 1.8 In Iobs time there was none like to him in the earth Yea it is the continuall complaint of the Prophets and Apostles Psal 12.1 Esay 57.1 Mich. 7.2 Rom. 9. that few are found walking in Gods righteous Law And shall we that are fallen into the dregges of time looke to sinde a greater plentie though wee search the world with lights But what shall we say or doe when wee finde such scarcitie and want of righteousnesse on the earth We must pray that righteousnes may looke downe from heauen Psal 85.11 Psal 4.1 Let vs desire the God of our righteousnesse to array the Church his Bride with fine linnen cleane and white the fine linnen is the righteousnesse of the Saints Reuel 19.8 In particular let vs put vp our suites in the behalfe of our English nation Prou. 14.34 that righteousnesse may exalt it and that sinne may not be a reproach vnto it In speciall manner for the Kings most excellent Maiestie Prou. 16.12 25.5 Psal 7â— 1 that his Royall throne may still bee established through righteousnesse Giue thy iudgements oh Lord vnto the King and thy righteousnesse vnto the Kings Sonne Let vs not forget the Illustrious Prince and Princesse Palatine with their hopefull issue but pray that God would blesse him in all his iust designes that his righteousnes may be brought forth as the light Psal 37.6 and his iudgement as the noone day Let all in authoritie vnder his Maiestie in Church and Common-wealth be compassed about with righteousnesse Let the Magistrates put on righteousnesse as a Robe and a Diademe Iob 30.14 Psal 132 9. and let thy Priests bee cloathed endue thy Ministers with righteousnesse yea let vs pray that euery priuate man may haue on him the brestplate of righteousnesse Eph. 6.14 that we may offer daily the sacrifice of righteousnesse Psal 4.5 putting our trust in the Lord Oh Lord leade euery one of vs by thy Spirit in the pathes of righteousnes vntil thou commest to iudge the world in righteousnesse Psal 9.8 Act. 17.31 2. Pet. 3.13 making a new heauen and a new earth wherein shall dwell righteousnesse Amen and Amen Vse 2 Secondly vpon our survay wee exclude from all comfort of this doctrine the greatest part of the world which are openly prophane and grossely wicked That hold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 whose lust is there law who haue no feare of God before their eyes Psal 36.1 c. as yee may reade euery where in the booke of God Against such the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen 1. Cor. 6.9 Verse 10. Know yee not that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the Kingdome of God Be not deceiued neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselues with mankinde nor theeues nor couetous nor drunkards nor reuilers nor extortioners shall inherite the Kingdome of God And is this all their punishment this is punishment enough It is a hell to be out of heauen yet it were happie for them if they might escape with the depriuation of heauen but they shall be turned into hell Psal 9.17 the place prepared of old for the diuell and his angels Mat. 25.41 It was principally ordained for the diuell and his angels but wicked men sinning doe as it were encroach vpon the diuels right It is iust with God since wicked men will sinne like the diuell that they be punished with the diuell But oh thou liuing man while their is life in thy bodie there is hope of thy soule if thou wilt turne vnto the Lord he will receiue thee into fauour as I liue saith the Lord I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ezech. 33.11 but that hee should turne from his way and liue Turne yee turne ye from your euill waies for why will ye die ye house of Israel Discite iustitiam moniti non temnere diuos Learne in time before the gate of Gods mercy be shut to breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercie to the poore Dan. 4.27 by a holy restitution of wrongs by the daily practise of repentance if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquilitie both in this life and in the life to come Let my counsell bee acceptable vnto thee doe not sell thy selfe to worke wickednes and gaine nothing but a roome in hell 1. King 21.25 in Tophet ordained of old Yea for the King it is prepared saith the Prophet he hath made it deepe and large Esay 30.33 the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it Vse 3 Thirdly by this description we also vncase the hypocrite and ciuill man Luk. 18.9 Prou. 30.12 who haue
few Lazarusses to be found out of heauen The walking disorderly bringeth and keepeth multitudes in the base estate of beggery 2. Thess 3.11 when religion doth so schoole the righteous that he worketh in some lawfull vocation and so is not vsually brought to so great extreamitie Salomon in the booke of Prouerbes is very copious and plentifull in this Argument shewing that through sinfull courses many miscreants doe come and crouch for a peece of siluer and a morsell of bread In particular By meanes of a whoorish woman a man is brought to a peece of bread Prou. 6.26 Againe The drunkard and the glutton shall come to pouertie Prou. 23.21 and drowsinesse shall cloath a man with ragges These are the fruitfull mothers that bring forth the numberlesse troupes of our euill beasts and slow bellies I meane those vnprofitable burdens the caterpillars and deuouring droanes of our Common-wealth viz. the wandring sturdie and incorrigible rogues Hee becommeth poore that dealeth with a slacke hand but on the other side Prou. 10.4 the hand of the diligent maketh rich In all lawfull and honest labour there is profit Prou. 14.23 but the talke of the lippes tendeth onely to penury Seest thou a lazie slothfull idle wretch with his hand in his bosome that can talke of worke but doe nothing there is more hope of the homeliest labourer then of him the poore plow-boy shall come to preferment before him He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread Prou. 12.11 but hee that followeth vaine persons is voyde of vnderstanding and so in iust proportion shall want bread and begge in the end as a witlesse and improuident foole Obiect 3 But wee see that God plungeth those which you would make vs beleeue are his onely Fauourites into a deepe pit of pouertie Answ Wee see not things as they are they are not so poore as we take them to be Reade what the Script 2. Cor. 6.10 saith As poore yet making many rich as hauing nothing yet possessing all things Not simply poore but quasi pauperes as poore No no God will make hard shift that I may speake it with reuerence before his children shall want necessaries the hard flint Num. 20.11 the rocke of stone shall gush out water and the hungry Rauen shall bring them bread and flesh in the morning 1. Kin. 17.6 and bread and flesh in the euening as it did Eliah Heb. 13.5 We haue Gods promise that he will neither leaue vs nor forsake vs and these reasons to induce vs to beleeue the same 1 Because he prouideth for the vnreasonable Creatures Psal 145.15 104.21 Mat. 6.26 The Rauens Lyons and the rest seeke their meat at God waite vpon him and haue it in due season and will he not feed his owne deare children Shall they want No the Lyons shall lacke first Psal 34.10 and suffer hunger 2 He is kind euen to the wicked which are strangers to his Couenant his enemies ergo hee will not faile those of his owne family that are vnder his owne charge If God be the Sauiour of all men then especially of those that beleeue 1. Tim 4.10 3. Hee hath sustained vs heretofore when we were young First when we were in the wombe before we had a mouth to receiue meate his gracious hand made another passage for as in the wombe wee are wonderfully made so are wee admirably preserued and fed Then out of the womb Psal 139.14 Mal. 22.9 10. when we yet hung vpon our mothers brests he was our God When we had not a tongue to expresse want yet he made vs cry and bend by a naturall instinct to the breast of our mother richly filled with fit sustenance for vs Afterwards he fed vs when we did nothing and when we did that which was euill and can hee now faile vs about his owne businesse No Gen. 48.15 he feedeth the godly all their life long 4 He hath giuen vs his Sonne Rom 8.32 therefore he will giue vs with him all things also And this is a very strong and Apostolical argument we may reason thus If he hath giuen vs his Sonne to be meate drinke and cloth to our soules hee will not stand with vs for so small a triflle as may serue our bodies 5 He will giue vs a royall inheritance therefore we should not feare that he will starue vs before wee come of age and are capable of it Feare not little flocke it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdome Luk. 12.32 6 And lastly if God doe forsake vs and not sufficiently prouide for vs it is because he is either vnable or vnwilling now for his ability wee beleeue that hee is Almighty and so rich in grace to all that call vpon him Hag. 2.8 Psal 50.10 11. The siluer is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hostes Euery beast of the forrest is mine and the cattell vpon a thousand hils I know the fowles of the mountaines and the wild beasts of the field are mine In a word Psal 24.1 The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof And for his willingnesse that is transcendent infinitely exceeding that of naturall parents towards their children yea it surmounteth and surpasseth that compassion of the most indulgent and tender mother Esay 59.15 Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe Yea they may forget yet wil not I forget thee So then content thy selfe with thy little forasmuch as thy litle will proue enough Exo. 16.18 He that gathered a little had no lacke If God giue but a little he can make a little serue the turne and be enough and then a little is as good as a feast Is thy prouision smal thy appetite shall be the lesse Remember the speech of the woman in the Martyr-booke M. Foxe Acts and Monâ—ments pag. 1874. If you take away my meate God I trust will take away my hunger We know as it is all one in respect of Gods omnipotencie to worke with meanes or without meanes and as good Jonathan sayth There is no restraint to the Lord to saue by many or by few 1. Sa. 14.6 so in regard of Gods ordinary blessing vpon the righteous it is all one to preserue them by dainty delicates or by courser commons by much or by little And learne this of our Sauiour Christ That a mans life consisteth not in the aboundance of the things which he possesseth Luk 12.15 but in the goodnesse of God engrauen vpon them whereby a few dead things are made sufficiently seruiceable to preserue and maintaine his naturall life as you shall heare by and by Part. 3 Thirdly it now remaineth that I should shew that the estate of the righteous with his little is better then the riches of many wicked Briefly then as I conceiue the matter in these three respects 1