Selected quad for the lemma: nature_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
|
The end of it That we being deliuered c. Of these shall be spoken in order The beginning and fountaine of all is Gods visitation He hath visited There is a twofold visiting ascribed to God in Scripture One of displeasure In the day of my visitation I will visit their sinne vpon them t Exod. 32.34 The Lord commeth out of his place to visit the sinne of the inhabitants of the earth u Isay 26.21 The other is of mercy The Lord visited Sarah as he had said x Gen. 21.1 that is he performed the good which he had promised In this sense the day of ones conuersion is called the day of visitation y 1. Pet. 2.12 So then heere God hath visited that is he hath graciously and mercifully looked vpon his people he hath scene and beheld with a pitifull eie the miserie and bondage of his chosen and he is now as it were come amongst them to shew them kindnesse This visiting on Gods part hauing this signification and being heere put in the first ranke is the ground and spring of all which followeth The 2. Doctrine and it affoords vs this doctrine That the kindnesse and mercy and free grace of God is the beginning and the fountaine of all those good things which doe concerne eternall life Consider the place Manie things are heere spoken of Redemption of a Horne of saluation of a Couenant and oath of grace But whence proceed all these but from the sole mercie of God euen from his gracious disposition to visite his people Where visiting is there is presupposed a very wofull estate Visit now yonder cursed woman said Iehu of Iezebel meaning to respect her aboue her desert z 1. King 9.34 It is easie to shew out of the Scripture how the loue mercie and grace of God are noted as the beginning of those things which concerne saluation The Lord saith Moses to the old Israelites did not set his loue vpon you nor chuse you because ye were moe in number than any people but because the Lord loued you c. a Deut. 7.7.8 Now the people of Israel were a type of Gods people Canaan a type of heauen it was Gods free loue which moued him to bring them into Canaan it is his free grace for which hee vouchsafes to aduance vs to heauen When mention is made of the course and order of our saluation these and the like speeches stil come in So God loued the world b Ioh. 3.16 the good pleasure of his will c Eph. 1.5 freely by his grace d Rom. 3.24 not by the works of righteousnesse which we had done but according to his mercie e Tit. 3.5 not that we loued God but that he loued vs f 1. Ioh. 4.10 who hath giuen vnto him first g Rom. 11.35 These speeches agree with the maner of speech heere vsed and doe shew plainly that there was nothing in man to mooue the Lord to reach out his arme of deliuerance all proceeded from the absolute and vndeserued freedome of his grace Manie things there were in man to prouoke God in his iustice finally to forsake him nothing which might induce him to shew the least degree of fauour Besides that this doth ouerthrow all Popish opinion of merit The Vse and which is the maine end of all sets out the grace and mercy of God to the full it serueth to quicken in vs that duty of thankfulnesse of which we heard before and which Zacharie did here performe A great blessing requireth great thanks but the freer the blessing is the greater should the thankfulnesse be All my fathers house sayd Mephibosheth to Dauid were but dead men before my Lord the King yet diddest thou set thy seruant among them which did eat at thine owne table h 2. Sa. 19.28 The lesse desert he found in himselfe the more deeply did hee hold himselfe bound vnto Dauid so that when we looke vpon the greatnesse of the blessing on the one side namely life eternall and a kingdom which can not be shaken and then the smalnesse of our owne desert on the other side who were but dead men before the Lord euen dead in trespasses and sinnes i Eph 2.1 we may well say with Dauid What shall wee render vnto the Lord k Psal 116.12 This must needs condemne our carnall mindednesse some things doe sometimes fall from vs by way of thankfulnesse for outward things as health peace seasonable weather and such like but the greatest blessing the chiefest fauor and to which of al other we can lay the least claime is scarsely once made mention of Blessed be God that hath visited vs when we were dead in sinne thanks be to God for his Sonne Christ Iesus How are we bound to his Maiestie who hath shewed vs this mercy to redeeme vs It is a rare thing to heare of such a speech It sheweth that we minde onely earthly things l Phil. 3.19 Corne and Wine a full basket and a ful barne these things wil affect vs but the Lords merciful visitation in his Son Christ in pulling vs out of the iawes of Sathan cannot mooue vs It is a fearefull signe euen that we are enthralled vnto Sathan and in the very bond of iniquitie m Act. 8.23 For did we feele and apprehend our owne desert to be eternally forsaken and the riches of Gods mercy in visiting vs with his saluation our spirits would be so rauished therewith that all other things would seeme vile and base in comparison of this one Thus much of the fountaine of this great worke which serueth notably to beate downe Merit and to stirre vp thankfulnesse The generall nature of the benefit is set downe in this word Redeemed To redeeme is as we know to buy out the very word in the common vsage of it presupposeth a bondage and captiuitie The 3. Doctrine Whereupon iust occasion is giuen vs to consider that miserable seruitude in which by nature we are all This seruitude is said to be vnder the power of darknesse n Col. 1.13 that is vnder the power of spirituall enemies which are three 1. Sinne. 2. Death 3. The Diuell Sinne maketh vs subiect vnto death for the wages of sinne is death o Rom. 6.23 Death brings vs into the full and absolute power of the diuell That we are naturally seruants to sinne it is plaine by the Apostles complaint I am carnall sold vnder sinne p Rom. 7.23 It is a true rule To whomsoeuer wee giue our selues as seruants to obey his seruants we are q Rom. 6.16 and whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne r Ioh. 8.35 Now it is apparent that naturally wee obey sinne in the lusts thereof and giue our members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto it Å¿ Rom. 6.12.13 euery member hath his taske in the seruice of sinne as the Apostle sheweth t Rom. 3.13 c. and whereas
then eternall life The second part of our naturall miserie is The 2. Doctrine The want of true comfort There is no peace to the wicked saith God f Isay 57.21 The conscience naturally being not yet renued and purged by Christs blood hath in it one of these two euils Senslesnesse or Amazednesse Either it is blockish and benummed and feeleth nothing and so passeth on in a kinde of drowsinesse and securitie like an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter g Pro. 7.22 or els it is perplexed and distracted with inward horror not knowing which way to turne it selfe for any true refreshing And the reason is this In euery naturall heart Sathan reigneth and worketh h Eph. 2.2 and Christ is a stranger from it Now where the King of confusion reigneth and where the Prince of Peace i Isay 9.6 is a stranger what comfort can bee looked for Againe the foundation of all true comfort is the perswasion of Gods loue in the forgiuenesse of sins but this I am sure doth not grow in natures garden And thirdly let a soule be wounded a heart pricked a conscience astonished with the apprehension of sin and with the Terror of the Lord k 2. Cor. 5.11 all the wit of all the wisest men in the World out of their owne reason cannot comfort it This is a lim of our natural darknesse Let vs once be touched with inward sorrow let nature doe her best let carnall reason stretch it selfe to the vtmost pin yet shall we be swallowed vp with dismaiednes This teacheth vs what we must doe The Vse when as in sicknesse losse disgraces and in any other sadnesse and sullennesse of spirit we desire refreshing If wee aske counsell of Nature or of carnall friends what direction shall we receaue Companie Musicke discourse gaming and things of the like nature which are like to water taken by one sicke of a burning feuer which cooleth a little at the first but after encreaseth the heat or to stickes catched at by a man readie to be drowned which promise some hope of helpe but yet faile in the vse and perish with him that trusted to them If wee desire true comfort we must goe out of our selues and looke vpward to him who is the God of all consolation l 2. Cor. 1.3 In his word we must meditate Except saith Dauid thy Law had been my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction m Ps 119.92 The cause of mens deadnesse in the day of sorrow is their dependance vpon carnall meanes the reed of Egypt n Isay 36.6 while in the meane time they neglect the principall The 3. Dotrine The third part of our naturall miserie is subiection to eternall death Death is gone ouer all men o Rom. 5.12 and The wages of sinne is death p Rom. 6.23 God told Adam that in the day that hee did eat the forbidden fruit hee should die the death q Gen. 2.17 Now inasmuch as wee haue all taken part with this disobedience we haue all a share in this punishment This punishment is called Death not because it is an vtter abolishment of the Being of the creature happie were it for the wicked if it were so but it is so called because the soule is eternally separated from God who is the fountaine of life and happinesse and by that meanes it is euer dying but dieth neuer wishing a dessolution but can neuer obtaine it The Vse The vse heereof is to humble vs and to abate our naturall pride Among men if we see one that is a begger by birth to be proud and lifting vp himselfe wee account it intolerable Put case some one were borne to bee a slaue or a drudge we would thinke such an one had little cause of boasting Yet such is the naturall condition of vs all The shadow and darknes of eternall death is our best inheritance Let God giue vs our right and what portion can wee expect but the fire of hell It is natures desert nay it is euen the desire of nature to be plunged into it Why are we secure whom our sinnes haue cast into such a dismall estate Thou pridest thy selfe in thy birth thou in thy wealth thou in thy wit thou in thy painted sheath and gay clothing and considerest not thy best desert what it is and whereto it tends whereas thou oughtest rather to powre out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord r Lam. 2.19 and to crie with Dauid Saue me O God Deliuer me out of the mire that I sinke not Let not the pit shut her mouth vpon me Å¿ Psal 69.1.14.15 Thus much touching the state of the parties vpon whom Christ bestoweth the benefit of saluation where we see what we are all by nature without Christ without the light of knowledge without the light of comfort ready to be swallowed vp in the darknesse of eternall death The right vnderstanding of this point when it workes to the humbling of the soule is the very first step to happinesse and the first fruits of true godlinesse The second thing to be handled in this Text is the nature of the benefit which is heere declared in two things 1. To giue light 2. To guide our feet into the way of peace Of these two in their course In discoursing vpon the former I must shew first what is meant by Light and then how this Light is giuen The word Light is opposed to the former miserie Whatsoeuer is vnderstood by Darknesse and the shadow of death the contrarie thereunto is intended by this word Light as namely Light of knowledge Light of comfort and Light of life The 4. Doctrine All these three are meant by the word Light and into the world Christ came to impart these three First to giue the Light of Knowledge I am come into this world that they which see not might see t Ioh. 9.39 No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne c. hee hath declared him u Ioh. 1.18 In him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and Knowledge x Col. 2.3 and of his fulnesse we must all receiue y Ioh. 1.16 Secondly to giue the Light of comfort The spirit of the Lord is vpon mee the place is meant of Christ to giue beautie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse z Isay 61.1.3 And thence commeth that offer made by Christ Come vnto mee all that are wearie c. and yee shall finde rest for your soules a Matt. 11.28.29 Thirdly to giue the Light of Life He that followeth me shall not walke in darknesse but shall haue the Light of Life b Ioh. 8.12 Hee hath brought Life and Immortalitie to Light by the Gospell c 2. Tim. 1.10 And thus is that fulfilled which Christ spake Whosoeuer beleeueth in mee shall not abide in