Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	answ_n	answer_n	use_v	2,821	5	10.0630	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77504	The mystical brasen serpent: with the magnetical vertue thereof. or, Christ exalted upon the cross, with the blessed end and fruit of that his exaltation, in drawing the elect world to himself, to believe on Him, and to be saved by Him. In two treatises, from John 3. 14, 15. 12. 32. Whereunto is added A treatise of the saints joint-membership each with other. As they were delivered to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the gospel, and preacher to that incorporation. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy. July 30. 1652.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1653 (1653)	Wing B4719; Thomason E1249_1; ESTC R208891	155,986	284

him 175 T. Type why made use of by our Saviour 4 W. Liberty of Will in the work of conversion decryed 160 Will not forced in the work of Conversion 192 Men drawn out of the World how 166 The Word Christs Instrument in drawing men to himself 171 The Word being the Drawing Ordinance is to be submitted to 191 ERRATA P. 2. l. 27. r. represented p. 8. l. 9. r. Handkerchiefes ibid. marg r. Fernelius p. 18. marg r. per Serpentem p. 21. l. ult dele And. p. 23. l. 30. for where r. whence p. 29. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 30. l. 11. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 33. l. 8. for hear r. here p. 41. l. 9. for grace r. cure p. 70. l. 32. dele up p. 7. 6. l. 7. r. quovis p. 107. l. last r. turned to dust p. 145. marg r. salvet p. 149. marg r. ex Gentibus p. 160. marg for decayed r. decryed p. 162. l. 29. r. not all THE MYSTICALL BRASEN SERPENT JOHN 3. Ver. 14.15 14. And as Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wildernesse even so must the Son of Man be lifted up 15. That whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternall life THE former part of this Chapter spends it selfe in the report of a usefull conference betwixt our Blessed Saviour and Nicodemus Coherence Wherin we may hear a gracious Master teaching and instructing an untoward and ignorant Scholer insome of the chiefest principles of Christian Religion as viz. The Mystery and Necessity of Spirituall Regeneration that he doth in the verses before the Text. The Meritorious and Instrumentall cause of Man's salvation The meritorious cause of it his owne Death and Passion The Instrumentall cause of it Faith in himselfe Both these you have in the words which I have now read unto you And as Moses c. Division In which two verses our Blessed Saviour informes this his Scholer and us of two things 1. The manner of his owne Death 2. The end and use of it The manner of his death ver 14. As Moses c. The end and use of it ver 15. That whosoever beleeveth c. The manner of Christs death set forth by a Typicall expression Begin with the former of these which our Saviour sets forth as you see not in plaine and open termes but under a covert expression making use of one of the Types and figures of the old Testament for the confirming and illustrating of what he would have Nichodemus and us to know and beleeve concerning his own death as viz. That he should die How he should die To what end he should die What benefit should redound from his death and By what means it should be conveyed all lively presented and held forth in this Type of the Brasen Serpent which Moses lift up in the Wildernesse Even as Moses c. So must the Son of Man be lift up Here two things considerable the Type Truth Here then two things mainly considerable the Type and the Truth the Shadow and the Substance The Type or Shadow the Brasen Serpent lift up The Truth or Substance of that Type that shadow The Son of Man lift up These two I shall look upon first severally then joyntly Severally 1. The Type the Brasen Serpent Beginning with the former of them the Type For so I look upon this Brasen Serpent as having in the first institution of it a double use to the Israelites the one Corporall the other Spirituall A Corporall use for the healing of their Bodies A Spirituall use directing them to Christ for the healing of their Souls Of such double use was the Mannah to them both Corporall and Spirituall food Corporall food given them for the present refreshing and nourishing of their bodies Spirituall food as being a Sacrament of the Body of Christ and of the nourishment which they might receive from him And of like use was the water which issued out of the Rock Usefull as water for the quenching of their bodily thirst as a Sacrament representing the Blood of Christ and so was to them not only Corporall but Spirituall drink so saith the Apostle himselfe expresly concerning both these 1 Cor. 10.3.4 Our fathers did all eat the same Spirituall meat and did all drink of the same Spirituall drink c. The same not only with themselves but with us Christians viz. the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ represented by those Sacraments And the like we may say of this Brasen Serpent The Brasen Serpent both a Medicine and a Mystery It was to the Israelites both a Medicine and a Mystery Having in it a Medicinall use for the curing of their Bodies a Mysticall use for the representing of Christ to them by whom their Souls might be cured saved And of such use our Saviour here maketh it bringing it in not barely by way of Similitude and resemblance but as a Type and Figure purposely destinated and appointed to point at himself So taking it here premise we these two enquiries concerning it the one more Generall the other more Particular 1. Why did our Saviour here make use of a Type a figure 2. Why of this Type this Figure Quest 1. Why our Saviour here maketh use of a Type Quest 1. For the former Why did our Saviour here make use of a Type Answer Ferus ad loc Answ For this we shall need no other reason but only to look upon the Scholer with whom he hath to deal Nichodemus a Pharisee ver 1. A Master in Israel ver 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctor a Teacher of the Law one well versed in the Law one that stood much upon the Law Joh. 9.28 one of Moses his Disciples And hereupon our Saviour being to deal with him deales with him in his owne Element fetching an Argument from the Old Testament from Moses to teach and convince him concerning that which should be accomplished under the New Testament in himselfe Quest 2. Why this Type Quest 2. But why doth he single out this Type rather then any other Many other Types and Figures there were in the Old Testament very lively representing and holding forth the Death and Passion of Christ As viz. the Paschall Lamb and the daily Sacrifices both which the Jews themselves do acknowledge to point at the Messiah Why doth our Saviour here make choice of this Answer 1. To this it may bee answered Answ 1. No Type more lively representing the thing typifyed 1. Amongst all those Types there was not any more lively more fully representing and setting forth the mystery of Christ then this of the Brasen Serpent A Type which contains in it a Sermon of the whole summ and Marrow of the Gospel Little or nothing necessary to be known and beleeved concerning Jesus Christ but wee may read it in this one Type 2. Besides in the second place amongst all the Types in the Old Testament

more dangerous I am relapsed I have fallen again and again into the same sin and that not only after conviction but after repentance and after that my soul in my apprehension was cured and healed Is there yet any hope for me Answ Answ The cure more difficult not desperate This I confesse maketh the case more dangerous and the cure more difficult I mean in our apprehensions but yet not desperate The Israelites I suppose some of them after they had been cured might bee stung again and again yet coming to the Brasen Serpent they still found the same vertue in it It is possible though not ordinary that a Child of God after full conviction after repentance and after pardon sued out and obtained may fall again and again into the same grosse sin the work of Mortification being here but imperfect and defective yet in this case let none despair of mercy He that caused the Brasen Serpent to be set up for a Toties Quoties that as often as the Israelites repaired to it they should be cured by it he hath given his Son that as often as poor sinners come unto him they should be cured and healed by him Caveat against presumptuous adventures A comfortable Doctrine But let none abuse it to their own perdition taking advantage from hence to indulge themselves in adventuring upon or continuing in any known evils What shall we say then Rom. 6.1.2 saith the Apostle shall we continue in sin that grace may abound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbid Shall we therefore dare to reiterate the same sin that Gods mercy may be renewed in the pardon of it Far be it from any of us to draw so damnable a conclusion from such sweet and comfortable premises True it was the Israelites had a Brasen Serpent to cure them as oft as they were stung but shall we therefore think that any of them were so mad as to run amongst the Serpents on purpose to be stung by them because there was a present remedy at hand True it is we have an All-sufficient Saviour to look up unto upon all occasions who is able to cure and heal all our relapses But what shall we therefore take liberty to run again and again into the same sin Of all evidences of a man that shall never find any benefit by Christ I do not know a more dangerous a more dreadfull one then this when men shall thus make him as it were a pandar to their base lusts so turning the grace of God into wantonnesse Let not any dare to make such use of what I have said which I intend only for the staying and comforting of drooping and dejected souls such as languish under the sad apprehension of some renewed sins which they have againe fallen into through the weaknesse and infirmity of the flesh not wittingly not wilfully If we sin wilfully that is with full consent of will after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins But through weaknesse and infirmity To them I say not I but the Lord Let them renew their repentance and faith looking up unto Jesus Christ and they shall find there is yet cure for them Returne ye back-sliding children Matth. 18.22 Luke 17.3 4. and I will heale your back-slidings Jer. 3.22 He that requireth us if our brother offend us seventy seven times yet upon his acknowledgement to forgive him will not he do the like by his people upon their returning unto him Have we relapsed then yet return by renewed repentance and faith looking up to this Brasen Serpent we shall live and not dy Object 6. Object 6. Want of strength against corruption I but I cannot find strength against my corruption Could I but feele that weakened in me then I should have some hope But alas I finde that still strong and prevalent notwithstanding all my praying and watching and striving against it yet I get little or no ground of it or power against it Answ Answ Vertue in Christ for subduing it Yet despaire not Onely come unto Jesus Christ The Israelites looking upon the Brasen Serpent they were thereby freed not only from the smart and anguish of their wounds but also from the prevalency of the poison so as it spread no further The poor sinner looking up to Jesus Christ shall there find a sufficiency as of merit so of vertue for the taking away not onely the guilt and terrour but the power and dominion of sin And therefore do not say if I could finde my corruption weakened then I would go unto Christ but therefore go unto him that by faith thou mayest fetch vertue from him for the subduing of it Object 7. Object 7. Weaknesse of faith I but in the last place my faith is a weak faith my wretched heart being full as of other lusts so of unbeliife I cannot glorifie God as I desire to do by resting upon his mercy in Christ with such a firme affiance stedfast confidence full perswasion as some others do Answ Answ Not the Degree but the truth of faith heals and saves Let not this discourage neither knowing that it is not the degree and measure but the truth of faith which heals and saves The reason whereof I have given you already because faith doth not save by any vertue of it own but onely instrumentally by looking up unto Jesus Christ Now this a weak faith may do and that as truly as a strong and so doing it shall heale The Type illustrates it well An Israelite looking up to the Brasen Serpent it mattered not how weak how dim how tender his eye was yet hee was cured Be thy faith never so weak but as the grain of mustard-seed but as the smoaking flax rather a desire to believe then any strength of faith yet even this weak faith being a true faith shall save thee shall heale thee So saith the promise here in the Text That whosoever believeth on him though weakly yet truly should not perish c. And what is there now that shall stand betwixt Christ and a poor penitent sinner to keep him from believing on him or upon his believing from receiving benefit by him Not his sins though great though many though of long continuance though often repeated and that after repentance not the strength of corruption or the weaknesse of faith Onely believe Onely believe That is the sum of the Exhortation which let me presse again and again Upon this depends our eternall happinesse and welfare And therefore every of us be excited above all graces to seek after this Mother-grace of Faith Hab. 2 4. Gal. 2.20 And having it set it awork exercise it live by it daily stirring up our dead souls thus to look up unto Jesus Christ Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Christ as the Israelites unto the Brasen Serpent Looking unto Jesus the authour and finisher of our faith So looking up unto him as

from the consideration of the Saints Joint-Membership 1. Negative Instructions members one of another from hence we may take up many usefull Instructions usefull to all the members of this mysticall Body which I shall divide into two ranks Negative and Positive The former shewing what Christians should not do the other what they ought to do Begin with the former What church-members should not do Let them not envy one another 1. Church-members not to envy one another an evill which all men by nature are prone and subject to The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy saith Saint James Jam. 4.5 The spirit of Satan or the spirit of a man so far forth as he is unregenerate being depraved and corrupted among other lusts it enclines and puts him on to envy Thus we read of the Patriarchs that being moved with envy they sold their brother Joseph into Egypt Acts 7.9 Thus even christians are too apt to envy their Brethren But thus let it not be Let not Inferiours in the Church envy their Superiours Those who have lesser either gifts or estates envy those that have greater Let not private christians envy publick officers Those who are under Government envy those who are set over them in the Lord. To that end let them remember what they should never forget that they are members one of another so as what the one receiveth is for the benefit and advantage of the other Livius Hist Lib. 2o. It was the argument which Menenius Agrippa in the Romane story is said to have made use of a story taken up and made use of by divers Expositors writing upon the Text for the quieting of a mutiny among the Plebeians P. Martyr Pareus Grotius ad Text. the common people in Rome who envying the wealth honour and pomp of their Senators were ready to have made a defection from them Thereupon he tels the fable of the Members and the Belly how that they fell foul with it complaining that they were faine to labour and take pains to maintaine that whilest that onely spent what they got whereupon they withdrew their wonted allowance which having done in conclusion by pining it they starved themselves And by this argument taken from the communion betwixt the members of the naturall Body hee appeased that tumult and reduced them to due subjection let the like argument be usefull unto Christians in a like way Is it so that others have gifts and offices in the Church for that I have now properly to deale with above themselves let them not envie them repine and murmure at them So did the Israelites at Moses and Aaron of whom the Psalmist tels us Psal 116.16 They envied Moses in the camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. This did Corah and his confederates as you may read it Numb 16.2 They envied Moses as a Magistrate and Aaron as a Minister one set apart for the Priesthood And how many are there who as if they had taken a pattern by them do the very like at this day They envy Moses and Aaron the Magistrate and the Minister And why because they are the one in the common-wealth the other in the church advanced above themselves But this let not any of you do no reason you should What they have is for your good He is the Minister of God to thee for good saith Paul of the Magistrate Rom. 13 4. And it is no lesse true of the Minister you and they are members of the same Body and being so ye are members one of another and therefore no reason you should envy one another So the Apostle himselfe maketh use of this very Argument in that Text which I have and shall have the frequenter recourse unto in as much as as Pareus saith of it it may serve as a commentary upon this I have now in hand 1 Cor. 12. where having to deale with some who envying the Offices or Gifts of some others were ready thereupon through discontent to fall off and seperate from the Church hee tels them ver 14 The Body is not one member but many If the foot shall say because I am not the hand I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body And if the ear shall say because I am not the eye therefore I am not of the body is it therefore not of the Body c. And so he goeth on willing every one to content himselfe in the station wherein God had set him not being discontent with others who were preferred before themselves This being a thing not onely of conveniency but of necessity that there should be such a disparity and difference among the members as of the naturall so of the mysticall Body So it followeth ver 17 18 19. For if the whole Body were an eye where were the hearing If the whole were hearing where were the smelling But now hath God set the members every one of them in the Body as it pleased him And if they were all one member where were the Body Let the consideration hereof for ever lay this evill Spirit of envy Church-members being members of the same Body they are members one of another And being so what any one hath is usefull to the rest and therefore let them not envy one another There is a first Instruction 2. Whilest they do not envy let them not disdaine one another 2. Not disdaine one another A usefull and needfull lesson for Superiours such as God hath preferred and advanced above their brethren betrusting them with offices honouring them with gifts or with successe in their labours or in any other way above their brethren let not them disdaine Inferiours despising them insulting over them thinking meanly of them looking overly upon them Thus as the History tels us that matchlesse Philistine looked upon David when he saw him being but a youth a stripling a childe in comparison of him he disdained him saith the Text 1 Sam. 17.42 And truely thus Superiours both in Church and State are subject to look upon their Inferiours men of greater estates are subject to despise their poor brethren though richer in faith then themselves So Saint James chargeth it upon some in his time Jam. 2.6 Ye have despised the poor Thus aged persons are sometimes apt to despise young ones though it may be their seniours in grace Thereupon was Pauls advice to Timothy that he should carry himselfe the more warily That no man might despise his youth 1 Tim. 4.12 And writing to his Corinthians concerning him he giveth them charge that no man should despise him 1 Cor. 16.11 And thus the strong Christian is apt to despise the weak whereupon the Apostle giveth that caveat to these his Romans Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not He that knoweth his liberty despise his weaker brother This take you heed of This is a thing which the members of the naturall Body will not do The more principall and noble parts