Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	father_n	son_n	subsist_v	3,592	5	11.9300	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17051	The vvay to true peace and rest Deliuered at Edinborough in xvi. sermons: on the Lords Supper: Hezechiahs sicknesse: and other select Scriptures. By that reuerend & faithfull preacher of Gods word: Mr. Robert Bruce, for the present, minister of the Word in Scotland.; Sermons upon the sacrament of the Lords Supper	Bruce, Robert, 1554-1631.; Bruce, Robert, 1554-1631. Sermons preached in the Kirk of Edinburgh. aut; I. H., fl. 1617.; Mitchell, S., fl. 1614.	1617 (1617)	STC 3925; ESTC S105939	298,483	380

Image which we lost nor to leaue vs in this earth but it pleased him to giue vs a better Image and beside that to place vs in heauen there to remaine with him for euer Now resteth his mercie and grace here No But that this saluation which he hath alreadie purchased brought about by his Sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus might be wholly accomplished hauing nothing wanting in it as he redeemed vs in his owne person perfectly so he makes this same redemption to come to our knowledge makes vs sure of it in our consciences and to this end what doth he As by his death he purchased our full redemption so he makes it knowne vnto vs he intimates it vnto vs by our inward calling letting vs both finde and feele in our hea●ts what he did in his body for vs. For our Lord when he makes his seruants to proclaime this redemption and to intimate it to our consciences he workes this Iewell of faith in our soules which assures vs that the Son of God hath died for vs. For what could it auaile vs to see our redemption to see our saluation and our life a farre off if a way were not found out and a hand and meanes giuen vnto vs whereby we may apprehend that saluation applie it to our selues What can it auaile a sicke man to see a drugge in an Apothecaries shop except he may haue it and apply it to his sicke bodie So to the end that this worke of our redemption and saluation may be fullie and freelie accomplished looke how freelie he hath giuen his onely Sonne to the death of the crosse for vs as freelie hath he found out this way and meanes and offered vs this hand whereby we may take hold on Christ apply him to our soules This meanes to conclude is faith There is not a way nor an instrument in the Scriptures of God whereby we can applie Christ to our soules but onelie the instrument of faith therefore faith cannot be enough commended Turne to faith and it will make thee turne to God and so conioyne thee with God and make all thine actions well pleasing vnto him There is no good action that we do though it seeme neuer so good before the world but it is abhomination before God if it be not done in faith and will further our condemnation hauing faith all the creatures of God are seruiceable vnto vs they must all conspire to the furtherance of the worke of our saluation As on the contrarie wanting faith there is none of the creatures of God but shall be enemies vnto vs and conspire to our damnation For faith conioynes vs with the God of heauen and makes vs heauenly This Iewell of faith seasons all the gifts and graces which God giueth vnto vs all the riches of the earth is of no value to my soule without faith And what auaileth it any man to haue all the knowledge and wisedome in the earth without faith For the diuell hath all this knowledge and is not the better What auaileth it me to conquer all the Monarches kingdomes and whole riches in the earth what can all these auaile my soule Nothing but accuse me if I want faith Therefore all the benefits and gifts of God without faith auaile nothing but to augment our mise●ie All the gifts and graces of God are abused without faith faith onely maketh thee to vse the benefits and graces of God rightly Faith only should be sought kept and entertained here in this life hauing faith all the rest of Gods graces are profitable vnto thee for this Iewell keepeth them all in order and maketh them all fruitfull whereas wanting this iewell there is nothing here on earth but it will testifie against thee Let vs then speake of this faith how it is wrought in you I take my ground out of the Euangelist Iohn 6.44 where our Sauiour saith No man can come to ●e except the Father which hath sent me draw him In the which words we see clearly that except we be drawne except we be compelled except we be thrust except of vnwilling we be made willing by God the father it is not possible for vs to come to his Sonne What is the reason of this that the Spirit of God must draw vs and make vs willing or euer we come to God Because by nature we are not onely wounded and lanced by sinne and iniquitie but as the Apostle sheweth Ephes. 2.1 We were wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes yea obse●ue how voide any dead bodie is of a naturall life so voide are our soules though they be liuing the naturall life so voide are they of the life of God of that heauenly and spirituall life whereunto we in this life do aspire vntill such time that the Spirit of God draw our hearts and minds that is quicken our hearts and minds No it is not a drawing as we commonly speake it is a very quickning of a dead thing It is a quickning of that thing which was void of the life of the Spirit Then except the Spirit of God draw vs that is quicken vs with that spirituall and heauenly life it is not possible for vs to come to heauen And except he nourish this life which he hath begun it is not possible that we can stand in this life So the Spirit of God is said to draw vs that is to begin this life in vs and by the same holy Spirit to continue and nourish this life in vs. Now by the drawing of the Spirit our soules are quickned and by the drawing of the Spirit I vnderstand no other thing but the framing and creating of faith in our soules which makes vs new creatures Now let vs see what order the Spirit of God keepeth in drawing vs and informing and creating this faith in our soules First of all I deuide the soule into no more parts then commonly it vseth to be deuided that is into the heart and the mind Our mind then being ● cloud of darknesse altogether blind naturally there being nothing in that mind of ours but vanitie error and ignorance whereby we vanish away can neuer long continue in any good resolution or purpose what doth the Spirit of God The first worke that euer the Spirit of God doth he taketh order with the mind and what doth he to the mind He banisheth darknesse he chaseth out vanitie and blindnesse that naturally lurketh in the mind and in stead of this darknesse he placeth in the mind a l●ght a celestial and heauenly light a light which is resident in Christ Iesus onely Then the Spirit chaseth out that cloud of mist and darknesse and placeth light in the mind And what worketh he by this light We getting sanctified vnderstanding incontinent he makes vs to see God not onely as he is God the Creator of the world but also as he is God the Redeemer and hath redeemed vs in his Sonne Christ Iesus Now before I obtaine this light

great profite as by hearing proaching Yea suppose they say they can reade better then he can preach No reade as much as they will their reading shall neuer bring forth faith for it is by hearing that faith cometh and where the ministerie is and they contemne the hearing they contemne faith for faith cometh onely by hearing ordinarily Thus farre for the circumstances Now the effect of the comfort is set downe in three points the first two points agree with the petition the third is further then came in his minde to seeke The health of bodie is the first it agreeth with the petition Length of daies is the second it agreeth also with the petition The third is further then he could haue looked for and more then he sought what is that A sure estate a prosperous estate and a glorious estate promised to him during all the rest of his daies This was more then he sought Now as to the order that the Prophet keepeth ere he come to the comfort he vseth a short preface The words are these The Lord calleth on him and he saith Go to Hezekiah thus saith the Lord God of thy father Dauid This preface differeth in two points from the preface that he vsed in the beginning of the chap. First there is here mention made of Dauid which is not in the former and so oft as euer ye find mention made of Dauid in the beginning of any preface so oft let the singular fauour and mercie of God come in your mind And when euer ye see Dauid placed in any preface let Christ come in your mind because Dauid was a type of Christ. This mention of Dauid placed here is to let the King see that the readinesse of his comfort flowed from the Messias to wit Iesus Christ from whom all true comfort flowed and without whom there is neither comfort nor consolation He calleth himselfe the God of Dauid because the principall promises of grace were made to Dauid and his house and specially that promise concerning the Messias in whom all the rest of the promises are yea and Amen fully accomplished in him This is the first point of difference the second point wherein they differ is this in this preface he calleth Dauid the Kings father as if he would say The man whom I loue so well I see him to be thy father and thee to be his child and his sonne not onely by nature but by graces I see thee to be his sonne by faith And therefore the whole promise of grace made to him and his seede must properly appertaine to thee where otherwise if thou hadst bene his sonne by carnall propagation onely these promises of grace had no more appertained to thy person then they did appertaine to the person of Achaz thy father But by reason thou art not onely his sonne by nature but also by grace therefore the whole promise of grace appertaines to thee for as the Apostle saith Rom. 9. It is not carnall generation that maketh vs sonnes of the promise for not all that are of Israel are Israel in deede They are not all the sonnes of God that are the sonnes of the flesh but onely the sonnes of the promise are the children of God that is they that through beliefe in the promise of mercie become the sonnes of mercie and are made the children of God Then this beliefe in the promises maketh vs not onely sonnes to God but sonnes to Dauid and Abraham for following the footsteps of Abraham in his faith by imitation of his faith we become his sonnes Thus far concerning the words of the preface Of this I marke two or three things and first by these words ye see the Prophet stayeth not nor bideth not but holdeth forth his course till he be commanded of the Lord to stand and stay he hath a speciall command for him ere he returne This teacheth all Officebearers that in Gods errand no m●n ought to enterprise any thing at his owne hand but to haue the Lords own aduice ere he proceed to his worke we haue his aduice when we haue the warrant of his word The second thing I marke as soone as he is commanded to go he stayeth not but so soone as God saith the word he obeyeth he maketh no doubting he a●keth no reasons at God he taketh it not to his aduisement he maketh no opposition but incontinently he obeyeth and surely this is true that if euer flesh and bloud had any reason to haue repined Isaiah had reason at this time And why In a moment and with one mouth he was commanded to recall that seuere sentence which he had pronounced and to pronounce the contrary which might haue ingendered a wonderfull suspition in the Kings heart in respect of the suddainnes If Isaiah had bene as short and as angrie as Ionas no question he would haue asked a reason at God For Ionas was not commanded to recall his sentence neither was he sent in such suddainnes to call it backe but he seeing the words of his threatning not to come to passe therefore he fretteth and fumeth against God where if he had bene commanded in such suddainnes to go and recall his sentence ye may easily coniecture what should haue bene his part This perturbation that was in Ionas letteth vs see that he was ignorant of the nature of the threatnings of God For if he had vnderstood that in all the threatnings of God there is a condition annexed he would not haue taken it so highly And if he had vnderstood that the minde of God was not to cast off a sinner he had not taken it so angerly But being ignorant of this he falleth into this fuming and fretting against God So I say there is two things here to be noted one thing to be eschued of the teachers in the person of Ionas another thing to be followed of them in the person of Isaiah The thing that is to be eschued is this Ionas standeth so precisely vpon his reputation that he is exceeding angry that God should change his iudgement in mercie Now I say this fault would be eschued of all and specially of office-bearers and I am sure there is no office-bearer which hath the feare of God in his heart who would not reioyce exceedingly and be glad to see all these threatnings which from time to time are pronounced against these bloudy men all those threatnings that are pronounced against the manifest oppressors and against these sacrilegious persons I am assured there is none but he would exceedingly reioyce to see these threatnings turned in mercy Againe I am assured there is not a spirituall office-bearer that hath the feare of God in his heart who would not exceedingly reioyce to see all the threatnings and admonitions directed from this place to Magistrates of all rankes inferiour superiour and supreme turned in mercy He is more then vnhappy that is so inclined to threatning that if he see the

the Lord his trust and regardeth not the proud nor such as turne aside to lies 5 O Lord my God thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward vs I would declare and speake of them but they are moe then I am able to expresse 6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire for mine eares hast thou prepared burnt offering and sinne offering hast thou not required 7 Thou said I Loe I am come for in the rolle of the booke it is written of me 8 I desired to do thy good wil O my God yea thy law is within mine heart 9 I haue declared thy righteousnesse in the great Congregation Loe I will not refraine my lips O Lord thou knowest 10 I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart but I haue declared thy truth and thy saluation I haue not concealed thy mercie and thy truth from the great Congregation 11 Withdraw not thy tender mercie from me O Lord let thy mercie and thy truth alway preserue me 12 For innumerable troubles haue compassed me my sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp yea they are moe in number then the haires of mine head therefore mine heart hath failed me 13 Let it please thee O Lord to deliuer me make haste O Lord to helpe me 14 Let them be confounded and put to shame together that seeke my soule to destroy it let them be driuen backward and put to rebuke that desire mine hurt 15 Let them be destroyed for a reward of their shame which say vnto me Aha aha 16 Let all them that seeke thee reioyce and be glad in thee and let them that loue thy saluation say alway The Lord be praised 17 Though I be poore and needy the Lord thinketh on me thou art mine helper and my deliuerer my God make no tarying THis Psalme for the most part tendeth to praise and thankesgiuing For the Author of it Dauid partly praiseth God from his owne late experience and partly from the publike experience of the whole Church Therefore for this his experience he offereth his seruice to God protesting to be thankefull to him as he had bene thankfull in times past And in the end of the Psalme he retireth himselfe to prayer and commendeth his estate to the protection of God that as he had deliuered him in time past so he would continue the same in mercy to him in time to come This I take to be the summe of this Psalme Touching the parts of it we haue three in the first wherof we haue the praise and commendation of the mercy and kindnesse of God whereby it commeth to passe that he reiecteth not them that depend vpon him In the second for this experience that he hath found he offereth his seruice to God as he had proclaimed his iustice mercy in time past so he protesteth that he is ready to do the same in time to come In the third as I spake before he retireth to prayer he commendeth his estate to God that as it had pleased him to preserue him in time past so it would please him to preserue him in time to come Following the literall meaning this is the effect of the Psalme If you take it otherwise there is a notable prophecy concerning the office of Christ Iesus concerning the abolishing of the old couenant and establishing of the new and concerning the sacrifice of our high Priest the Priest of the new Testament Christ Iesus Then to returne to the first part therein we haue a singular experience set downe Indeed if the circumstances were well considered his experience is more then singular for by the last Psalme the estate and care wherein he was at this time may be easily gathered He was pursued by the treason of his owne sonne Absalon he was pursued by the skornes and Iests of his owne seruants In this great extremity he bursteth out into prayer beggeth of God that he would withdraw his hand from him for a space and why He was consumed with his owne iniquity he desireth that at the last he would incline his eares to his prayers and keepe no longer silence at his teares in respect he knew he was but a soiourner and a pilgrime in the earth as the rest of his fathers were he sayth Withdraw thine heauie hand O Lord and let the mercy that I looked for appeare to me Now in this Psalme he letteth vs see what issue and end his long wayting obteined to wit a most blessed and happy end For in this Psalme we see that the Lord at last inclined his eare vnto him and shewed in experience that though he answereth him not at first yet he was not deafe but accomplished his desire in drawing him out of his misery in the which he lay which misery he describeth by two proper similitudes The first similitude is taken from the pit The second is taken from the myre of clay At the last the Lord drew him out of this horrible pit and placed him vpon the shore he opposeth the rocke vnto the pit and the faire way to the myrie clay and placed him vpon a plaine and faire way and directed his iourney So his long expectation obtayned a most happy issue In this his experience there are three things that offer themselues to be considered First what was this that he susteyned in this long wayting what was it that made him to continue without despaire Secondly what was Dauids exercise all the time of this long wayting Thirdly what issue end this long wayting obtayned As for the wayting there was no other thing that susteined him but that same which we Christians call a Christian hope or a Christian expectation which hope is the worke of the holy Spirit wrought in vs by the power therof whereby it cometh to passe that we with great patience abide the performance of the Lords promises In this hope there are two things inclosed There is first the absence of the thing hoped for yet notwithstanding a certaine expectation of the same This hope of ours is different from our faith though it rise and spring thereof in two speciall points For the nature of faith taketh hold on the promise for nothing can be beleeued but the promise promises are propounded to be beleeued and commandements to be obeyed The nature of faith then taketh hold of the promise The nature of hope looketh not so much to the promise as to the thing promised The nature of hope is to looke continually vntil it possesse the thing that is promised The nature of faith maketh the thing which is absent in it selfe and in very deede to be present as if it were extant and subsisting before thy senses and therefore faith is called the ground substance of things absent for faith maketh them as sure by the promise as if the thing promised were in my hand It maketh me