Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	intercession_n	mediator_n	redemption_n	1,722	5	9.9845	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11603	Sermons experimentall: on Psalmes CXVI. & CXVII. Very vsefull for a vvounded spirit. By William Sclater D.D. sometimes rector of Limsham, and vicar of Pitmister, in Summerset-shire. Published by his son William Sclater Mr. of Arts, late fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, now a priest, and preacher of the Gospel in the city of Exeter, in Devon-shire.	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.; Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1638 (1638)	STC 21844; ESTC S116824	112,358	217

according to our gracious abilities by way of thankfulnesse we tender unto him so Peter 1 Pet. 2.5 Acceptable to God through Iesus Christ As First The ordering of our conversation aright Psal 50.23 When we so live as God in us may be glorified Mat. 5.16 Secondly When in our Callings particular we seek the advancement of Gods glory as Paul 2 Cor. 5.14 15. Thirdly Speciall occasions oft fall out when it becomes our lot to stand up for the support of Gods glory perhaps with hazard of state or life as in Hesters case Host 4.16 If I perish I perish These God interprets and accepts as thankfull rendrings and retaliations to his bounty Wherein how answerable we have been to the favours God hath bestowed upon us and their measures if I should hold my peace the stones would speak What Nation under the Sunne hath been able to compare with us in all favours that God hath done us as the Lord speaks to * Deut. 3. Israel and considering the measures and continuance of the blessings we have been as peerles in ingraditude turning the grace of God into wantonnesse increasing our rebellions as God hath his blessings upon us I could wish we could see the prefermēts we have had above many our neighbours in the measure of the means of salvation and the continuance of them the issues whereof except in point of knowledge and that but in a few hath been no great increase of our obedience but that in justice and charity and mercy many ignorants have gone before us Do we thus requite the Lord This let us rest assured of generally for our kingdome The Lord who hath made his mercies marvellous towards us will make his plagues as wonderfull that we may be a by-word Deut. 28. And at the last day it will be true of us that Christ speaks of unthankfull cities Mat. 11. The state of heathen shall be more tollerable then ours The Stile here given to Thanksgiving It is a Sacrifice Metaphorically ye must understand and by Allusion so called because all those Sacrifices offered in the old Leviticall Law did type out this same thanksgiving all Ceremonies of the old Testament as Gratian tells us having in them to be considered both superficies and Moralis intelligentia as the thing which should succeed in room or stead thereof in which respect our * Rom 12.1 bodies our * Phil 4.18 goods our thanks are called Sacrifices The fruit of our lips Heb. 13.15 Hos 14.2 Or else secondly Because in esteem with God more then al sacrifices of bullocks or rams as Psal 50.8 9. which also perhaps makes David chuse it as the speciall evidence expressing his serviceablenesse to God Lo here then the excellencie of thankfulnesse farre above all sacrifices or other services we perform unto God see Psa 50.23 He honoureth me comparatively understand it more then he who brings the fat of rams or ten thousand rivers of oyl Mic. 6. Lord that we could set our selves to it sure it is the service of heaven wherein Angels and * See Isa 6. Apoc. 6. Saints are imployed and they who rightly perform it as Saint Paul speaks Phil. 3.20 Have already their conversation in heaven At this time especially it is necessary when we come to receive the pledges of Gods love and goodnesse in our Redemption whereupon the whole action hath the name of Eucharist and in which respect the Fathers called it a sacrifice and the Table from which they offered it in a spirituall sense an Altar wherefore the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was by them also stiled Sacramentum Altaris These are helps available thereto First See our portion or sharing in the blessing that we may be able to say as Paul every of us Christ loved * Gal. 2.20 me and gave himself for me it is lip-labour that without this is performed in respect of Redemption Thus discern it First Redeemed from vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Secondly Setting our selves apart to serve God in righteousnesse and true holinesse Luke 1.74 Thirdly Zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 wherein we may bring glory to God Fourthly Permitting our Redeemer to dispose of us to his glory whether by life or death out of this ground That we are not our own 1 Cor. 6.20 Second particular wherein David meant to expresse his service to God is Invocation Calling upon him onely in case of necessity That this is an honour and service due to God Scriptures are evident insomuch that Tropically it is put for the whole service of God as 1 Cor. 1.2 and 2 Tim. 2.19 And consider what honour it gives him you will easily acknowledge it First Thereby we acknowledge him to be Giver of all good things see Iam. 1.17 and that but from him we can expect nothing that is good Secondly Of power in that therein we acknowledge him able to do above all that we can ask or think Ephes 3.20 Thirdly Of love to man no lesse then fatherly Matth. 7.11 wherein the Lord so glories that he hath given it a speciall Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.4 Fourthly Of mercie and compassion wherein the Lord so glories as in no one of his Attributes see 2 Cor. 1.3 The Father of mercie● and God of all consolation Fiftly Of Dominion and Lordship absolute and independant for whilest we pray God for all we have need of what do we but acknowledge him to have in himself absolute power to give or not to give farther then by his promise he hath pleased to make himself our debtour Sixtly Of his truth supposing his Pactum his Covenant and promise that he hath passed to us wherefore also ye see it often acknowledged as inducement to grant see Neh. 1. Dan. 9. All this shews abundantly that it is a service due to God To all these might be added also that hereby God is himself acknowledged as the alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knower of the heart Now whether in propriety and incommunicably is now grown matter of question Conceive thus whether no creature Saint nor Angel may participate with him in it in any degree Thus farre goes consent That nor Saint nor Angel may be prayed unto as Authours or Givers either of * Psal 84.11 grace or glory because the things we need exceed the power of all creatures to give To which also the Papists themselves adde consent of the whole Church that nor Saint nor Angel is to be invocated as Authour of the blessings How then are they interessed in this honour Answ As mediatours of impetration or obtaining the good things we have need of and yet not as principall Intercessors but as such as by Christ and his intercession commend our suits unto God Wherein you must understand they palliate onely that horrible Idolatry they practise in Invocation of Saints for whoso looketh to the forme of their prayers shall finde that they pray to them as Lords of the gifts Secondly That they send them not to

God by Christ as Mediatour of Intercession but as men who by their own merits may commend our suits unto God and even oblige him to grant what we pray for The question at last comes to this issue upon supposall that they pray to them onely as mediatours of impetration Whether we may invocate Saints departed as mediatours of impetration or entreat them to entreat for us favours from God They say Yes because we may so do to men on earth and that without any derogation to the mediation of Jesus Christ Answ But it follows not for a twofold Reason First Because for the one we have a Mandate to begge the aid of living * Iam. 5.16 Saints prayers Secondly We have example of Saints as of Paul Eph. 6. Rom. 15. Thirdly We have promise from God that the prayer of faith shall finde audience Iam. 5. neither of which we finde of Saints departed Secondly For that we have means to make known our wants to Saints on earth none at all to informe at least our mentall desires to Saints departed * Isa 63.16 Abraham knows us not And for means of convaying them to their notice there is none which hath foundation in Scripture what ever they pretend for revelation of Angels conversing with us Luk. 15. Answ We deny not but at times they converse with us on earth but that they have their continuall commerce about us we finde no Scripture to affirme onely that they are * Heb. 1.14 sent out upon occasion for good Secondly Suppose our prayers mentall onely as oft they are and oft so most fervent Exod. 14. Why cryest thou Understand they them Without robbing God of his incommunicable glory to be the onely Knower of hearts they cannot affirm it it shall ever be his Privelege to be Ex se 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second is That through the incredible celerity of their nature they do by themselves hear prayers made to them on earth Answ To which Bellarmine answers First That this cannot be true of Mentall prayers though such celerity supposed Secondly That to this end they may hear all prayers made to them is requisite not onely celerity of nature but also ubiquity when at the same instant so many prayers are made to the same Saint and no Motus is in instanti Their third is That they see in God all things Hence their Speculum Trinitatis from the first instant of their beatitude Answ And yet Christ knew not the day of Judgement though from the first instant of his Incarnation he enjoyed beatificall vision Secondly Where finde we such a Speculum Trinitatis mentioned in Scripture Thirdly Suppose such a Speculum It is not Naturale but Voluntarium so that nothing can be thence informed but what God will have them know Their fourth is Revelation That God is pleased to reveal unto them our prayers when we powre them out before him And so Saint● have in former times known both things to come yea and also secrets of hearts as Act. 5. Answ But where finde they that God reveals to them the prayers that are made unto them Secondly And saith Bellarmine then would the Saints pray to God sometimes to reveal to Saints their prayers Thirdly And that was as likely to be vouchsafed to Patriarks and Prophets in ancient time when yet it is said Abraham knows us not Isa 63. To draw to conclusion in this Point I would but know for my learning of any Papist in the world why I should chuse to go to God by a Saint rather then by Jesus Christ our known Advocate Is it because their prayers are more prevalent with God It were blasphemy to think it Are they more mercifull How derogate they from that glory of the high * Heb. 2. 4. Priest of our profession Or is it more humility Answ It is pride not humility that shews it self in such will-worship Col. 2. And what is the condition of Saints in new Testament inferiour to that of them in the old If they without any such ambages might approach unto God immediately why not we rather when Christ appears for us at the right hand of our Father Roman 8. Heb. 7. And if there were nothing else might breed in us detestation of Popery this yet alone should seeing it so robs God of his honour of mercie gratuitous love to man omniscience c. communicating it in equality or greater measure unto creatures Christ of his meritorious intercession and of his propriety in mediating twixt God and us see 1 Tim. 2.5 I beseech you brethren think of these things First We serve a gracious and a mercifull God who stiles himself the * Psal 65.2 Hearer of prayers Secondly we have a mercifull high * Heb. 2.18 4.15 Priest touched let us go boldly to the throne of grace with our infirmities Thirdly For this we have warrant by * Psal 50.15 mandate and promise which we lack for intercession of Saints Fiftly Encouragements we have plentifull He gives to all liberally and * Iam. 1.5 upbraids no man Fiftly Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora Tutius ad meum Iesum loquor quam ad quemvis sanctorum spiritum Austin Sixtly Whether or how Saints hear our prayers it is uncertain and unresolved amongst some Papists themselves Why holds not the rule true Tene certum dimitte incertum That God hears our prayers rightly qualified we know by his omniscience immensity ubiquity c. we know also by experience we know by his protestation c. But that Saints do hear them we know not Secondly As in the misapplying of this honour from God to Saints is idolatry so in the neglect of it is crime no lesse then Atheisme Psal 14.4 and detainment of service which we owe to our God wherein I wish our people were not all obnoxious and culpable How many families in this Congregation where prayer to God is a stranger as which passeth all measure of impiety How many persons who except in the Church scarce ever have minde of prayer to God so much as by the shortest ejaculations Are we Christians How deserve we the Stile which is this oft such as * 1 Cor. 1.2 and 2 Tim. 2.19 call upon the Name of the Lord sometimes an holy * 1 Pet. 2.5 Priesthood to offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ yea how can we perswade our selves we have received the Spirit of Grace if not * Zech. 12.10 Rom. 8.26 withall the spirit of Supplication or how be perswaded we have the spirit of God if we delight not in the exercise of it Daniel had spirit of sanctification yet was he constant at his * Dan. three times a day to call upon his God yea then when death was present before him David * Psal Seven times a day and is not the Precept to pray * Thes 5.17 continually besides there is nothing we