Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	doctrine_n	john_n	use_v	4,211	5	9.5225	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75620	Theanthrōpos; or, God-man: being an exposition upon the first eighteen verses of the first chapter of the Gospel according to St John. Wherein, is most accurately and divinely handled, the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ; proving him to be God and man, coequall and coeternall with the Father: to the confutation of severall heresies both ancient and modern. By that eminently learned and reverend divine, John Arrowsmith, D.D. late Master of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge, and Professor of Divinity there.	Arrowsmith, John, 1602-1659.	1660 (1660)	Wing A3778; Thomason E1014_1; ESTC R10473	267,525	319

between it and the other Three Gospells First for the Title It is a Gospell The Gospell according to St. John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifieth Glad-tidings Salvation by Christ imparted gladdeth the heart good newes No tydings in the world so good as those that impart Salvation by Christ And that Message was never so clearely delivered as under the New Testament though under the Old it was but more obscurely Therefore though there were Gospell in the Old Testament yet yee do not find it called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Promises But in the New Testament this message goeth under a new name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely the Gospel Rom. 1. 1. Paul a servant of Jesus Christ called to be an Apostle separate to the Gospell of God The four first Books of the New Testament because they do most lively hold forth to you the History of Christ's Incarnation and Conversation and Passion and Resurrection and Ascension and his Sermons and Miracles Therefore they are called peculiarly by this name of Gospell All the other Books they do but inlarge and apply and illustrate these four Evangelists Even as all the Prophets under the Old Testament were but as so many Commentators upon Moses Now if it be lawfull to compare Scripture with Scripture for some kind of difference there is As in pieces of Gold though all be pure Gold yet some have a clearer stamp then others So all divine truths in Scripture are divine truths yet there is a clearer truth in some places then in others Therefore you Evangelium Sancti Iohannis est Evangelium Evangeliorum may call this of John The Gospell of Gospells as Solomon's Song was called the Song of Songs If it be lawfull to compare Scripture with Scripture He that brings glad Tydings we say He may knock at any man's door Here are glad Tydings indeed The Gospell what is that Certainly glorious things are spoken of Thee Oh Thou Gospell of God as he said of the City of God Glorious things c. It is called the Glorious Gospell of the Blessed God Such a phrase you have 1 Tim. 1. 11. according to the Glorious Gospell of the Blessed God which is committed to my trust It is called else where The Gospell of the Kingdome There is no coming to Heaven but by the Gospell Math. 4. 23. Preaching the Gospell of the Kingdome It is called the Gospell of Peace Rom. 10. 16. How beautifull are the feet of them that Preach the Gospell of peace and bring glad Tydings of good things It is called the Gospell of the Grace of God Acts 20. 24. That I might finish my Course with joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospell of the Grace of God Would you then have Glory or Peace or Grace or Kingdome listen then to the Gospell So much for the Title Secondly for the Writer of this Book The Pen-man of it It is John The Gospell according to John Matthew Mark Luke and John these four drew the Chariot in which Christ rid all the World over And amongst them four John hath a kind of preheminency The Ancients are wont to compare these four to those four beasts in Ezekiel Ezek. 1. 10. who had the faces of a Man of an Oxe of a Lyon and of an Eagle and they make John the Eagle because he soareth aloft more than all the rest in the Contemplation of Christ's Divinity The Eagle maketh his Nest on high as it is in Job The Eagle can do that which the other fouls of the aire are not able to do It can look upon the Sun in its highest beauty Behold the Eagle of the Gospell looking upon Christ in his Divine nature and expressing that more then all the other Evangelists They that are given to Divine speculation know the flight of this Eagle You that would be heavenly-minded listen to what John telleth you John John's Title whom the Lord loveth That is his Title There was leaning on Jesus Bosome one of his Disciples whom Jesus loved The likelier man to reveale secrets who was in the Bosome of Christ We are wont to communicate our secrets to our friends to those whom we love most You may expect to hear of Christs secrets from the Disciple whom Jesus loved And therefore saith Augustine John drew out of the bosome Christs secrets are revealed to his best beloved ones of Christ the very Heart of Christ what he was about to make known to the World The King sendeth a messenger to you and by his Favourite you expect to know the whole mind of the Prince because his Favourite is the messenger Here is the Disciple whom Christ loved And not onely so but John the Sonne of Thunder that is a true Title of his which onely he and his brethren shared in Mark 3. 17. James the sonne of Zebedee and John the brother of James He nameth them Boanerges which is the sonnes of Thunder to rowse men from security Here is Thunder in the Gospell So many Words so many Thunder-Claps John was now to deal with desperate Heretiques That denied the Divinity of Christ and here is Thunder for them enough to affright them all Junius was not able to stand Junius how converted before the force of this Thunder-clap He himselfe telleth us That in his youth he was given to Atheism and drowned in Cursed principles and the first thing that brought him to the Knowledge of a God was the beginning of this Chapter of John He cast his eyes upon these words and professed that he was not himselfe of a long time after he s●w so much Majesty therein beyond all humane Rhetorick that he was not himselfe of a long time after This Junius that Translated the Bible speaketh of himselfe There is a mistake amongst people as if there were no powerfull preaching but that which is Clamorous preaching As if the goodnesse of a mans Sermon were to be made out of the goodnesse of his Longues and not out of the matter by the goodnesse of the delivery and not by the sublimity of the Doctrine Here is John the meekest of the Disciples the most beloved Disciple of them all a Man of a meek spirit as we read in his Story yet this John hath something of Thunder in him How By the effect of his Doctrine not by the height of his voyce As it is said of Pericles a great and famous Orator in Athens He Thundered and ratled in his speech And so John in his Doctrine the sonne of Thunder in that respect Thirdly you must Consider the occasion of John's writing this Gospell When the Pastor was absent the Wolves broke in upon the Flock When John was banished into Patmos by Domitian Ebion and Cerinthus and other Heriticks The reasons why the Gospel of Iohn was written there were that denied the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ and this

the Father because there is distinction of Persons and yet a personall Co-existency The word was with God So ye have the meaning of that Proposition Let us now make Use of it First Take notice here of the distinction of Persons in Vse 1 the Godhead a distinction without their Divinity Here is the Son the word with God and the Son with the Father not divided from him And yet one Person with another and so distinct one from another With him not without distinction and in him without division As in the night-time if a man set up three Candles in a room all these concurr to the lightning of the room yet there is but one light So but one Essence in the Divinity Yet here are three Candles that give that Light but no man can say that this light is peculiar to the First Candle and this to the Second for all shine together and yet the light of the second Candle is with the first but the light is all one But O the depth It is no wading here farther than a man hath footing out of Scripture for fear of being past our standing and be drowned The Word of God is with God and one Person with another but the manner How as Basil said when he met with some knots of difficulty in this Mystery I believe saith he I do not busie my self in searching over far what we cannot make out in plain reason we must make out in believing where we have the Scripture for our bottom onely take notice of such a thing Certainly there is a distinction of Persons in the Trinity Here is One with Another The word was with God Secondly Learn from hence to worship God according Vse 2 to a distinction of Persons Learn we to worship and look at Christ as a Person distinct from the Father and the holy Ghost or else we worship not Christ but our own fancies If we conceive him not as he is as he is distinct This is the great difference between the Christian and the Turkish Religion I might say the Jewish too for the Turks and Jews agree in that they hold one God but deny a distinction of Persons in the Godhead We Christians according to Scripture acknowledge that too There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one And some kind of necessity appeareth in a way of reason which we may take notice of for the strengthning of our faith in this great Mystery that there should be a distinction of Persons God The benefit of the distinction of Persons the Father was the Person offended Reconciliation was to be made None but God hath enough in him to satisfie God Therefore it was requisite there should be a Person to satisfie the Person offended That the second Person the Lord Jesus undertakes and goeth through with it But how shall this be made known Poor man is as far off as ever he was if he be left here he hath no power in his own nature to reach this Therefore there is a Third Person the holy Ghost who discovereth this and applieth it So that the Salvation of Man is by the concurrence of the whole Trinity But I must here again take off my self with O the depth as Bernard did Hoc magnum est Mysterium This is a great Mystery a Mystery rather to be adored than searched into Well saith he Quomodo esset Pluralitas in Unitate unitas in Pluralitate How there should be a Plurality in Unity and how a Unity in Plurality three Persons and yet but one Essence Scrutari temeritas est It is rashnesse to search too far into it Credere pietas it is piety to believe it Cognos●ere vita aeterna It is life eternall to know it We can never have a full comprehension of it till we come to enjoy it Thirdly This may serve to Answer that Question which some make What was God a doing before he made the Vse 3 world Object It might suffice to Answer them as Augustine did in Answ the same case with a short Answer He was a making Hell for such as put these Questions But there is a fairer Answer in the Text which telleth you That the Word that was in the beginning before the Creatures were made that Word was with God God was delighting himself in his Word God and his Word were a contriving the Redemption of Mankind and had thoughts of peace towards the Elect from all Eternity That place Prov. 8. speaketh something to it When he appointed the foundations of the world vers 30 31. then I was by him as one brought up with him or as a Nourisher in Intention or decreeing of the Creatures that were to be made or out of the Church that was to be gathered out of the world I was daily his delight rejoycing God delighting in his Son before the world was alwaies before him This God was a doing before the world was made he was delighting in his Son this Text saith so clearly So saith Peter 1 Pet. 2. 19 20. The pretious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for you Before the foundations of the world what was God a doing Plotting as I may speak with reverence the work of mans Redemption projecting my Redemption and thine Before we were he had thoughts of peace and mercy towards us Therefore we may trust him as long as we live When we think little of him he thinks much of us The fourth Use we may make of this is this It should Vse 4 teach us and I pray God we may all learn infinitely to prize the love of Christ I say to prize and adore the love of Christ Who though he were from all Eternity the Word with God yet was pleased in the fulnesse of time to become Emmanuel God with us What an act of respect and love was it in Moses to his Country-men the Jews Moses his exceeding love to his Country-men the Jewes poor Hebrews in sore bondage and he in Pharaoh's Court brought up in all the learning of the Egyptians adopted by the King's daughter full of honour some say Lord Treasurer of Egypt and they build their conjecture upon that because it is said He forsook the treasures of Egypt It was a great thing for him to leave the Court and sort himself with poor Labourers at Brick-kilns yet that he did Here is an act of great condescention in Moses of much respect to his Country and love to the poor Hebrews But what is this of Moses to that of Christ who was with God in the Court of Heaven taken up with the mutuall delights which the blessed Trinity had in each other To leave this all this for a time and to come to be Man with us To leave his Mansion which was Heaven and to pitch his

Therefore God doth to every one give sufficient light remotely sufficient because say they He giveth them such light as if they would follow it He would give them faith This is commonly said But I could never yet see it proved Wheresoever there is an improvement of natural life men say there shall certainly be an addition of super naturall discoveries of Christ and so power to believe If there be no such thing the connexion between the improvement of what a man hath and the donation of what he standeth in need of for to bring him to salvation must depend either upon the merit of man that doth so improve his nature or upon the promise of Christ that whosoever doth improve his naturall abilities shall have grace vouchsafed to him But it dependeth upon neither of these Therefore no such thing First it doth not depend upon the merits of man nor upon his utmost improvement of naturall abilities so long Salvation depends not upon men's Merits nor their improvement of naturall abilities as we are out of Christ all our abilities are but naturall they cannot deserve the grace of Christ No creature can raise it self to an higher kind by improving of what belongeth to it in a lower sphear As for example Take creatures that onely have sense in them it is possible by art and industry to bring them to a great exactnesse in the exercise of their science as an Horse to dance an Elephant to write and a Parrat to speak but none can bring them to Reason because that is a thing of an higher sphear So take a Man that is naturall by the improvement of nature he may go on a great way but he cannot by all the improvements of nature deserve grace at the hands of God The Papists call this the Merit of Congruity if a man improve what he hath he deserveth ex Congruo that God should give him more But if so then the heavenly Call upon which Salvation dependeth to such a man it will be of works and not of meer mercy contrary to that of the Apostle 2 Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world was Thence followeth Calling from Election not from improvement of our abilities in our own works Might such a man say I am called and why why according to my works and improvements How then shall that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 15 16. be overthrown I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and compassion on whom I will have compassion According to this way in the merits of Congruity it will be of him that willeth and runneth and not of meer mercy Then it cannot follow from the merits of man But perhaps it followeth from the promise of God Nor upon the Promise of Christ That is the Armintan way Let such a promise be produced and how gladly will men submit to it That which the Arminians pitch upon is this To him that hath shall be given a speech of Christ which is annexed to two severall Parables to the Parable of the Sower and to the Parable of the Tares To him which hath shall be given Therefore say they if a man improve his Naturalls he shall have Grace if his Reason he shall have Christ But there is a great mistake in this for the utmost that this Promise will bear is a reward for them in the same kind for an improvement of what one hath and useth aright He that useth his naturall wit aright shall have more naturall wit he that useth his parts shall have more parts and he that useth his graces shall increase his graces And in this sense To him that hath shall more be given A man may as well say He that useth his wealth well to him health shall be given and he that useth health well to him wealth shall be given as to say He that useth his reason well to him grace shall be given for here is a transition or passing into another kind of thing whereas the promise runneth for the increase of a thing of the same kind This may suffice to clear that second Quary namely Whether sufficient light be given to every one In these two Propositions Christ doth dispense to every one light sufficient to leave him without excuse Christ doth not dispense to every one Converting-light sufficient to bring him to Salvation I have done with the Explication of the Point For the Use of it briefly If Christ doth thus lighten every man that commeth into the world let us learn from hence these four Lessons 1. To see Him 2. To seek Him 3. To serve Him 4. To blesse Him First Learn to see Christ and to acknowledge him in Use 1 all the light which we our selves and others have even as Learn to See Christ ye see the cause in the effect in Christ as the Author of all that light When ye see men knowing men men of great understanding there is much of the light of Reason strict men there is much of the light of Conscience holy men there is much of the light of Grace Admire Christ in all these for all commeth from him Think how holy and how understanding Christ is in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are We are many times apt to admire men and to over-look Christ this should not be Suppose a man that were kept in a deep dungeon all his daies and were brought out at midnight when the Moon shineth this man would be apt when he looketh upon the Moon to think it to be the most glorious creature that he seeth to be the spring of all light for it is the most glorious creature that ever he saw But let him but stay till morning when the Sun ariseth and he will be ashamed of his mistake If we see men that shine as the Moon think how much more glory there is in Christ This is the way to see him in all the light dispenced by him to the creatures Secondly We should learn hence to seek Him for the Use 2 encrease of light for He is the Father of lights so saith Learn to Seek him James Jam. 1. 17. Every good and perfect gift is from above and commeth down from the Father of lights Some men are of a foolish conceit that men derive their understandings from such Constellations at their birth and that maketh them wise No it is not the light of heaven but it is the Father of lights It is Christ that conveyeth all understanding to men He is not onely the Author of all the light we have but the Father of it He is the Author of many things that bear his Image He is called the Father of lights because all the light we have hath a clear impression of the night of and upon it even that of Reason which is like Mephibosheth