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A57158 A sermon preached before the king at White-Hall on March 22, 1667, being Easter-day / by Edward Lord Bishop of Norwich. Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676. 1668 (1668) Wing R1283; ESTC R32286 13,905 38

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A SERMON Preached before the KING AT WHITE-HALL On March 22. 1667. Being EASTER-DAY By Edward Lord Bishop of Norwich Published by his Majesties Command LONDON Printed by Thomas Ratcliffe and are to be sold by Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little-Brittain 1668. A SERMON Preached before the KING AT WHITE-HALL On March 22. 1667. being Easter-day Hebrews 13. v. 20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant Make you perfect in every Good Worke to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. THE efficacy of the Gospell dependeth not on the wisedome industry or ability of Man but on the Blessing and power of God who onely can open the Heart to attend unto the Word spoken And therefore the Apostle doth often begin and end his Epistles with Prayer as the best Key to open and the best Seal to close the Doctrine taught Now because the summe of our Happiness here standeth in two things That God is at peace with us and that we live in obedience to him and both these founded in the Covenant of Grace Sealed by the Blood of Christ the great Apostle High Priest and Shepheard of the Church and ratified by the power of his Resurrection therefore the Apostle hath so couched these things in this Prayer that it may be a Summary both of his Doctrine touching the person and offices of Christ in this Epistle and of the Exhortations unto stedfastness in Faith and Obedience frequently inferred therefrom The Words contain in them Two general parts A Prayer and Arguments to enforce it In the Prayer we observe 1. The Matter of it perfection in every good work 2. The Rule of our perfection in working God's will 3. The end of Doing his will to please him 4. The Principles of this Perfection 1. God's peaceable Affection towards us in Christ. 2. God's Gracious working in us Working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight The Arguments are drawn 1. from the Free Grace of God in an Everlasting Covenant 2. From the Love of Christ the great Shepheard of his Church in purchasing all the mercies of that Covenant with the price of his own Blood 3. From the power of God bearing witness to the Efficacy and prevalency of that Blood in Raising Christ from the Dead 4. From the Pastoral Office wherein Christ applyeth and dispenseth the Mercies of this Covenant as the great Shepheard of the Sheep I begin with the Prayer wherein we have a compleat Character of Christian perfection in these few particulars 1. An Internal work of God's grace in us working in you Good works begin not at the Hand but at the Heart we must be renewed in the spirit of our minde and strengthened by God's Spirit in the Inner-man as the Apostle speaks He in the Philosopher who could not make a Dead Body stand gave it over with this Conclusion Oportet ut sit aliquid Intus We may not judge of our selves by mere External conformities the Lip or Knee may be near when the Heart is farr off We must try how our Consciences is freed from the allowance and our Will from the love of Sin What life of Grace is in our Heart How our Soul stands in awe of God's Commandments The outward Act may be dissembled but no Man can love God in Hypocrisie Again the outward Act may be disabled but nothing can hinder the Heart from delighting in God's Law Every Man is that in God's Eye which he is in his Spiritual Capacity A Bodily service like a Body is Dead without a Soul to animate and enliven it 2. Life of Grace within will produce work without In vain do we please our selves in the opinion of a good Heart if there be an Evil Conversation Grace in the Heart like Leaven in the Lump or Sap in the Root wil work its way into the whole Man Where God gives one heart he gives one way Jer. 32. 39. The Wicked must forsake his way as well as his thoughts and so finde mercy Isaiah 55. 7. 3. Christian perfection disposeth unto Every Good Work causeth a Man to keep a good Conscience in All things Sinceritie makes Obedience universall He who out of the awe of God's Authority keeps one Commandment must needs on the same Reason keep all as Saint James argues Cap. 2. 10. they being All alike Holy and alike His. There is in Every good Christian a Concatenation of all Vertues and Grace As the Childe receives from the Parent Member for Member So when Christ is formed in a Believer he receiveth of his fullness Grace for Grace John 1. 16. And therefore as one dangerous Wound may kill a Man or one dangerous Leake sink a Vessell So one presumptuous Sinne may destroy a Soul We must not therefore content our selves with Herod's progress of whom it is said that he did many things Marc. 6. 20. But we must with David have respect unto all God's Commandments and hate every False way Psal. 119. 6. 128. This is our Commission to teach Men to observe All things whatsoever Christ hath commanded Matth. 28. 20. And this should be your Resolution to say with good Cornelius We are here present before God to hear All things that are commanded Thee of God Act. 10. 3. 4. Christian perfection is Constant holds out to a consummation and full growth to a perfect Man Eph. 4. 13. Keeps God's Statutes Alwayes to the end Psal. 119. 112. proceeds from an Heart throughly fitted and composed for good works as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth So the Apostle sayeth of himself that he followed after reached forth and pressed forward in the Race of Christianity Phil. 3. 12 13 14. as all true denominations are founded in habituall and permanent Qualities We call not him a Red man who is so onely with Blushing nor him a Pale man who is so onely with Passion So sincere Piety is not in fitts pangs or sudden flashes but is sober regular uniform constantly disposing the Soul unto Every good work 5. Christian Perfection hath for its Standard and Measure the good and perfect will of God inquireth what God the Lord will speak Psal. 85. 8. teacheth us to deny our own Reason and not dispute to deny our own will and not to rebell against the will of God to say as Christ to his Father Not as I will but as thou wilt or as Saint Paul in his Conversion Lord what wilt thou have me to do Great reason it is that the wisest Will should order and that the Soveraign Will should Rule Every other Will which is subordinate unto it And since we know that God requireth nothing of us but for our own benefit for our goodness extendeth not unto him we should Even out of Self-love obey his will 6. Christian Perfection