Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	incense_n	prayer_n	smoke_n	1,391	5	11.4786	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74656	Expository notes, with practical observations; towards the opening of the five first chapters of the first book of Moses called Genesis. Delivered by way of exposition in several lords-dayes exercises. By Benjamin Needler, minister of the gospel at Margaret Moses Friday-Street, London.	Needler, Benjamin, 1620-1682.	1654 (1654)	Wing N412; Thomason E1443_2; ESTC R209640	117,247	301

the salvation of our children is a duty incumbent on parents in point of justice from the parents they received the filement and misery of their nature and therefore they owe them all possible help for their recovery It is a piece of cruelty for a parent to suffer his children to lye in their blood if we hurt but a stranger yea though against our wills we think it our duty to help to cure him It is worthy of our consideration that the promise of a blessing to be continued to posterity is annexed to the second commandment in the Decalogue which is concerning the worship and service of God God thereby intimating what parents and others should principally apply themselves to have planted in their families if they would have Gods blessing entailed upon their issue It is an idle conceit of many that Religion and godlinesse are not for children surley most equall it is as the first-fruits of other things so the first-fruits of our yeares should go also to God Ut primitiae rerum it á primitiae dierum Greg. Quest 6. vers 3 4. It is said here Cain and Abel brought their offerings unto the Lord and yet it is said after Seth's time Then began men to call upon the Name of the Lord Was not the Name of the Lord called upon Gen. 4.26 before by Abam and Eve and Abel Yes But for some time the greater Resp part of the world were corrupted with Cains wicked progeny insomuch as it is probable the good people at first worshipped God in their families but after Seth the family of the righteous encreasing the worship of God became more publick and solemne This then that is said vers 26 of this Chapter that then began men to call up-the Name of the Lord is not spoken simpliciter sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quest 7. verse 3 4. Why did Abel bring the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof as an offering unto the Lord The firstlings of the flock were accounted Resp the best as also were the first-fruits Abel would not offer up unto God that which cost him nothing It is our duty to be at some cost for the carrying on of the worship and service of God Buy the truth and sell it not He Prov. 23. 23. doth not say take the truth as if it might be had for taking up but buy it What is the meaning of that phrase You know in buying of a commodity we are willing to part with something that we may have and enjoy the thing we buy There are severall things you must part withall if you would have the truth and amongst the rest you must part with your purses It is true indeed Gods grace and truth is not to be had for money but though you cannot buy grace you may buy Preaching maintaine a godly Ministery whereby you may come to get grace We may observe in that Parable The Merchant finding a rich treasure hid in the field he is said To sell all and buy the Mat. 13. 44. field He doth not buy the treasure but the field the field is the Ministery of the Gospell in which the treasure of grace is hid now in buying the field he buyes the treasure hid in the field The Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a free gift and yet you must buy the truth and maintaine the Ministery But is it not a wicked thing to set the Object Gospel to sale Yes without question but pray mark Resp you say sometimes you have bought a Bible the truth is a Bible in some sense cannot be said to be bought what then do we buy I answer you buy the cover and the paper and the binding and the printing but the Bible it selfe is Gods gift So people do not buy the Gospel nor Ministers sell it But you will say if you do not sell the Gospel what else do you sell We answer we sell our study our pains the spending of our strength and spirits but the Gospel is Gods gift That Minister and he alone may be said to sell the Gospel that would make the Gospel to serve his base carnall interest and so make a market of it And truly in this sense others may be said to sell the Gospel as well as Ministers there are some that put the Gospel to the same drudgery that they put their foot-boyes and make it lackey after their Coaches Quest 8. verse 3 4. Why the Lord had respect to Abels offering and not unto Cains Some and indeed the most conceive Resp that Cain offered unto the Lord of the fruits of the ground any thing he cared not much what but Abel of the firstlings of the flock of the best he had and this say they was a main reason why the Lord had respect to Abels offering and not Cains But by the leave of so many Learned and reverend Divines I shall enter a demurrer against this judgement of theirs for consider 1. As you heard before they brought those offerings that were suitable to that way or calling in which God had set them 2. There is not the least hint in the Scripture that Cain brought the worser sort of the fruits of the ground but for ought we read the best of the kinde 3. That God is to be served with the best is a Notion that lyes with its face upwards in the understandings of men 4. That though it must be acknowledged that the best of the kinde was to be offered up in sacrifice unto God as you read Ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it Mal. 1.8 not evil And ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hosts Yet when the Scripture clearly makes the difference of the issue of Cain and Abels offering to consist in the persons who offered and not in the offering why should we enquire any further concerning it By faith Abel offered unto God a mo●e excellent sacrifice then Cain Heb. 11.4 This should teach us to mixe all our holy duties with faith It is said when Christ was baptized Lo a voice from Mat 3. 17. heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Not with whom I am well pleased but in whom God the Father is not only well pleased with Christ himselfe but in him with the graces duties and persons of his people It is not with our duties as with our posies the posie gives sweetnesse to the bosome but the bosome gives no sweetnesse to the posie But in regard of our holy duties the case is quite contrary The Lord Jesus as it were takes our duties and puts them into his bosome and they receive all their goodnesse and fragrancy from the bosome of Christ It is said That the smoke of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended Rev. 8.4 up before God out of the

1. pro à vel abs ut Gen. 44. 4. We may conclude therefore with safety that the Originall will beare this translation I have gotten a man from the Lord. That those that are of the other perswasion affirme that Eve understood that the Messiah should be God which was the occasion of the speech I have gotten a man the Lord. That to me it sounds discord to say that Eve should know so much of the Messiah as that he was God and yet that she should think that he should be born after the ordinary way of mankinde as Cain was Therefore I judge it safer to keep to our translation I have received a man from the Lord viz. by the favour and gift of God especially when I consider that good women have used such expressions in the like case as Leah And Leah conceived and bare a sonne and she called his Gen. 29. 32. name Reuben for she said Surely the Lord hath looked upon mine affliction and verse 33. And she conceived againe and bare a vers 33. sonne and said Because the Lord hath heard that I was hated he hath therefore given me this sonne also and she called his name Simeon See also ver 34. 35. of the same Chapter Let us Learne that riches and honours and children and servants and houses and lands are the gifts of God as well as grace and peace When the Jews should come to Canaan and grow great there was a caution given them to look up unto God as the donor When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt blesse the Lord Deu. 8. 10 11. thy God for the good land which he hath given thee beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God c. Many who are perswaded that God gives grace and God gives heaven and salvation are hardly perswaded at least do not consider it that God gives riches and health and wealth and liberty Oh it is a sweet thing when a man can look upward from these lower things and can say that his earth hath dropped down to him from heaven There is no creature in the world that God hath made capable of knowing any thing of the first cause but onely the rationall creature And it is the excellency of man not onely to enjoy the good that he hath but to be able to rise up to the highest and first cause of all good It is observed of the doves that they peck and look upwards hence the Church in the Canticles is said to have doves eyes because they look so much up to heaven upon every good they receive As the Church hath doves eyes so the men of the world have dogs eyes dogs you know look up to their Master for a bone and when they have it they presently look down to the earth again wicked men will look up will pray to God when they want any thing but when they have received what they would have God shall not have one good look from them Quest 3. verse 2. Why did Adam bring up his sonnes one to be a keeper of sheep and the other a tiller of the ground To teach us that parents should bring Resp up their children to some employment and that it is the duty of every one industriously to apply himselfe to some calling or other Cain and Abel were heires apparent to the whole earth and yet they had their employments I know we ought to distinguish between manuall labour and mentall labour in the manner of employment may be some odds Manuall servile and mechanick labour is fit for men of a lower condition generous and ingenuous and liberall employments for persons of the greatest births and brightest intellectualls and this kinde of labour possibly might have suited best with Cain and Abel had it not been for the scarcity of persons then living in the world and the necessity of engaging in such callings for the present but every one ought to be industrious And therefore as a Learned Author very well observes That those Gallants who live in no setled course of life but spend their time in pleasure and vanity there is not the poorest contemptible creature that cryeth Oysters and Kitchin-stuffe in the street but deserveth his bread better then they and his course of life is of better esteeme with God and every sober wise man then theirs An horse that is neither good for the way nor the cart nor the race nor any other service let him be of never so good a breed never so well marked and shaped yet he is but a Jade His Master setteth nothing by him every man will say Better knock him in the head then keep him His skin though not much worth is yet better worth then the whole beast besides Let us have a care therefore of giving up our selves to the vanities and pleasures of the world An idle mans brain is the Devils shop where he forges all manner of sinne Nihil agendo malè agere disces Hierom thought that action and lawfull employment was a disheartning to the Devil and therefore he gives this advice Semper aliquid age ut te Diabolus inveniat occupatum Put thy selfe upon some businesse or other that when the Devil comes to tempt thee to sin he may not finde thee at leasure Quest 4. verse 3 4. Why did Cain bring of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord and Abel of the firstlings of his flock Both Cain and Abel brought such offerings unto the Lord as were suitable to that Resp way or calling in which God had set them Cain was a tiller of the ground and therefore brings as his offering the fruits thereof Abel was a keeper of sheep and therefore brings as his offering the firstlings of his flock As Old Testment Saints had their sacrifices under the Law so New Testament Saints have their sacrifices under the Gospel Almost every duty of Christianity in which a man consecrates himselfe to God is called a sacrifice righteousness is a sacrifice Offer the sacrifices of righteousnesse prayer is a sacrifice Let my prayer Psa 4.5 Psal 141. 2. be set before thee as incense and the lifting up of my hands as an Evening sacrifice Ps 51.17 Repentance is a sacrifice The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart Lord thou wilt not dispise Almes-deeds Heb. 13.16 that is a sacrifice But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Thanksgiving is a sacrifice I will offer to thee the sacrifice Psal 116. 17. of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord. It is usuall for the Spirit of God in the Scripture to describe spirituall duties by expressions drawn from Ceremonies and usages under the Law As Repentance is called Washing Wash ye make ye Isay 1.16 cleane put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes So prayer is called Incense Let my prayer be

set before thee as Incense And the righteousnesse of Saints Psa 14.2 Fine linnen And to her was granted that Rev. 19.8 she should be arayd in fine linnen clean and white for the fine linnen is the righteousness of Saints Being an allusion to the garments of the Priests so in this case Gospel-graces and duties are called Sacrifices A Learned Author observes that we may parallell Christian sacrifices under the Gospel to those under the Law Repentance is as a trespasse-offering Zeal a burnt-offering praise a free-will-offering sincerity the oblation of unleavened bread c. Well then let us be exhorted in the words of the Apostle To offer up our bodies Rom. 12.1 a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is our reasonable service every word in this verse is very Emphaticall 1. Present your bodies viz. your whole person as Christ gave himselfe for you so you must give your selves to him As he was sacrificed for you so you must be sacrificed for him not your sheep nor your Oxen nor your Goats but your selves Cainistae sunt saith Luther offerentes non personam sed-opus personae Now saith Origen Instead of a Ramme we must kill our irefull passions instead of a Goat our unclean affections instead of flying fowles our idle thoughts 2. A living sacrifice because the Jewes sacrifices were dead sacrifices Beasts dyed when they were sacrificed but men live when they are sacrificed nay they dye unless they be sacrificed 3. An holy sacrifice the Jewes might sacrifice beasts and not be holy but the Christian cannot sacrifice himselfe but he must needs be holy 4. An acceptable sacrifice before the sacrifice of beasts did not please God unlesse they did sacrifice themselves too but if Christians sacrifice themselves it doth please God though they do not sacrifice beasts Quest 5. vers 3,4 Whether Cain and Abel knew that God was to be worshipped this way viz. by offering up of sacrifices by the light of Nature or whether they had it by tradition from Adam Our adversaries of the Church of Resp Rome contend that they knew by the Light of Nature that God was to be worshipped this way and that they learned from their father onely some circumstantials of worship The reasons they give for this their judgment are 1. That the Heathens by the Light of Nature worshipped God this way 2. That the Law of Nature doth oblige us not onely to the worship of God but to such a worship as might most fitly set forth the Majestie and dominion of God and the subjection and homage of man and this was best represented by sacrifices To both these answer may be made As for the first though Heathens worshipped God by sacrifices yet it remaines to be proved that they knew this way of worship by the Light of Nature As for the second it doth not appeare but by the intervention of a positive Law of God obliging thereunto that the killing or sacrificing of a brute creature was the best way of worship to set forth Gods soveraignty or our homage Therefore as to the answer of this question we affirme that by the Light of Nature we may know that God is to be worshipped and that with inward and outward worship but deny that this kinde of worship is to be found out by the Light of Nature The Orthodoxy of this perswasion will be cleared up if we consider that the killing or sacrificing of a beast did not please God any further then as it was a type of Christ now the doctrine of Christ being such a mystery as never yet hath been discovered by the Light of Nature the same may be said concerning this way of worship that pointed thitherward So then Cain and Abel were instructed in this way of worship by their parents Adam and Eve From the consideration of the whole we may note 1. Outward performance of duties are gracious evidence Cain offers sacrifice as well as Abel They come unto thee as the people Eze. 33. 31. cometh and they sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse As a statue hath all the parts of a man head and armes and legs and feet but it wants an inward principle of life so an Hypocrite hath all the outward parts and lineaments of a Christian he prayes and hears and receives the Sacrament but there wants an inward principle of grace Be ye doers of the word not hearers onely deceiving your own soules A Learned Jam. 1.22 Author observes that the word in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a terme of Art and it implieth a sophisticall Argument or syllogisme which hath an appearance or probability of truth but is false in matter or forme and is put by the Apostle to imply those false discourses that are in the Consciences of men viz. They that heare the Word shall be saved But I heare the Word Therefore I shall be saved Therefore have a care of resting upon holy duties Satan still tempts us to be like unto God to be Christs our selves and Saviours our selves The dove made use of its wings to flie to the Arke but it trusted not in its wings but in the Arke We may make use of good duties to bring us to Christ but we must not trust in our duties but in Christ A good work rested on is as b●d as a sin committed Consider God is a Spirit and he looks to the spirit All the wayes of man are Prov. 16.2 cleane in his own eyes but the Lord weigheth the spirits A man may deceive his neighbour yea he may cheat himselfe but God is not mocked The Lord knoweth our inside The Lord tryes the spirit he turnes up the bottome of the bagge as Josephs steward did and then comes out all our Abominations and wickednesses that have beene so long hid A man may miscarry though he be employed in the highest duties and services Mat. 7.22 23. Many will say unto me in that day Have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils c A man may have the gift to cast out Devils and yet at last may be cast unto the Devil A Minister by his preaching may be instrumentall to save others and yet not be saved himselfe The shipwrights that built Noahs Arke were drowned themselves 2. Note here the duties of Parents toward their children Adam nurtured his children very well for 1. He provideth for them till they come to age 2. Then he appoints them their callings for one was an Husbandman the other a shepherd 3. He taught them the worship of the true God Adam should be a patterne to Parents in these particulars and especially in that which is the greatest matter of all these viz. instructing of their children in the true worship and service of God A Learned Author observes that furthering