Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A67218
|
The substance of several sermons, from John, ix. 39 Preach'd at the request of a friend, and now publish'd for the benefit of the publick. By Nathanael Wyles, an unworthy labourer in Christ's vineyard.
|
Wyles, Nathaniel.
|
1698
(1698)
|
Wing W3770B; ESTC R222177
|
55,039
|
110
|
Love of the Truth as it in Jesus is the ready way to be judicially hardened and blinded and to be given up by the holy God to believe Lies that we may be damn'd 2 Thes 2. 10 11. If you read the Scriptures in the margent you will plainly see that Gods judicial Mat. 13. 14 Mark 4. 12 Acts 28. 26 27. giving over this People to blindness c. was consequent to their sinful stopping of their Ears shutting of their Eyes and sinning against the light of the Word of their own Consciences received from it It is dreadful sinning against the Light of Conscience which is Gods spy and Mans Overseer and the Light of the holy Word for this cause many are blinded and judicially hardened by God the Judge of all God hath given them says St. Paul the Spirit of slumber Eyes that they should not see and Rom. 11. 8. 9. Ears that they should not hear unto this day Quest But who are they that thus sin against Light The Light of the Word and of Conscience which so highly provoke God to anger against them Answer First They are such as sin after the many Warnings and Admonitions given them by God in his holy Word God's Trumpet viz. his Word is blown in Sinners ears dayly which calls them to retreat and break off from sin God saith My Son if Sinners intice you if they would Prov. 1. 10 11. have partake with them in their Sins consent thou not give no way to them nor to their Temptations they that sin with others must look to suffer with others in their plagues without true Repentance They that like Simeon and Lovi Brethren in Iniquity shall also be Brethren in Misery Therefore says God enter not into the Path of the wicked go not in the way of evil Prov. 4. 14. 15. 16 17. Men Avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away for they sleep not except they have done Mischief and they eat the Bread of Wickedness c. Oh! how cautelous is this Caution to have a Care of sin and of being led away by the Wicked into the evil Ways of it Forsake says God the way of the 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Foolish and walk in the way of Vnderstanding and come out from amongst them and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and be your God and you shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord. Sinners You cannot plead Ignorance as an Excuse for your sins who live under the Gospel You have heard the Word of God preached often by a many of Gods Servants which call you to break off Sin by Repentance to plow up the fallow Ground of your Hearts and not sow among Thorns lest the Fury of the Jer. 4. 3 4. Lord come forth like Fire and none can quench it because of the evil of your Doings The Word calls you to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lust and to live sâ—berly righteously and Tit. 2. 11. 12. godly in this present World You have you Wretches been told often of Sin and warned against it and yet you will venter upon it You have been told of your Pride and Malice and Swearing calling God to damn your Souls and of your Drunkenness and Sabboth-Breaking and yet you live in these Tim. 3. 13. 1 Tim. 6. â— 12. Sins This is indeed to sin against Light Oh! have a Care you provoke not God to give you up to blindness of Mind to deceive and to be deceived Flee these things and follow after Righteousness and Godliness Faith Patience Love and Meekness But 2 dly Such sins against Light c. as Live in the total neglect of those Holy duties which God calls for and that they know well they should be found in the practice of You have been told often that Gal. 4. 2. 1 Thes 5. 19 20. you ought to Pray to continue in Prayer and to Pray alwayes that is always to have your hearts in a praying frame for God and yet you Live in the neglect of it there are many prayerless persons who mind not this Work which is their priviledge as well as duty You have been told also that it is your duty to hear God's Word often and to live the Sermons in your Lives which you hear with your Ears out of the Pulpit and to read the Scriptures much which are able to make you Wise unto Salvation But Oh! how is this Work neglected by many if they do hear and read now and then they mind it not but cast the Word of God behind them What wretches are these not to mind what the Great King of Heaven and Earth says to them I have called says God but they have Prov. â— 25 29. refused and have set at nought all my Counsels and would not be reprov'd by me they hate knowledge and have not chose the Lord this is matter of Lamentation and it shall be for a Lamentation that the great God should call after sorry sinful man and he refuse to hear and regard Is not this provoking what will God do to such Will he let them go unpunished No he 'll lay his Ireful Rod upon them and Laugh when their Calamity comes Many are convinc'd that it is their Ver. 27. 28. duty to pray in their Families and yet can go Days Weeks and Months without it and God never hear of them I fear many professors are guilty in this point let me tell you in the Name and Fear of the dreadful God that these are dreadful sins and a ready way to bring Gods Curse down upon you Pour out says the Prophet thy Fury upon Jer. 10. ult the Heathen and the Families which call not upon thy Name Here Heathens and prayerless Families and Persons are reckoned together as being nothing better than they Think often upon that word of the Apostle He that knoweth to do good and doth it not to Jam. 4. 18. him it is a sin But 3 dly Such persons sin greatly against Light that Live in the practise of those sins which they condemn in others it is the trick of Hypocrites and wicked Men to condemn that in others which they allow and practise themselves But what saith Paul to such kind of men Art thou inexcuseable Rom. â— 1 2 3. O man whosoever thou art that Judgest For wherein thou Judgest another thou Condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things But we are sure says he that the Judgment of God is according to Truth against such as commit such things thinkest thou this O man That judgest them which do such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the Judgment of God Seneca wrote against Superstitions and the Superstitious and yet worship'd Images himself Many condemn that as sinful in others which they allow in themselves is not this to sin against Light Let such persons have a care they be not left of God
and Determine the Lawfulness of the striving as the Apostle says a Man is not Crowned except he strive Lawfully And it was expected from such a Person in that State of Honour that he should be Fair Equal and Just in all his Judgment and Determination and it assures the Judgment of the Lord to be in all things admirable for its greatest Equity Righteousness and Judgment For the Righteous Lord Loveth Righteousness Psal 11. 7. And thus in allusion to this in that so known Seat of allusion to these Games the Apostle says I keep under my Body and with the Austerest methods Bring it into subjection Least while I Preach to others I my self should become one Rejected to whom the Prize is not Judg'd one unworthy the Prize Because he who Determines is a Righteous Judge and will not be Imposed upon with outsides or Formalities But here the great doubt is where is the Saint to be found who can stand before a Judge a Righteous Judge such a Righteous Judge as the Lord is And the alone Answer is according to what hath been said already That it depends wholly upon what hath been done by the Captain of their salvation His Obedience and his Sacrifice the Author and Finisher of Faith What he hath done without them That in which he was wholly alone and none of his with him and that which he works in all his as their Head of Life and Influences making them strong in the Grace that Resides supremely and vitally in Himself and flows continually into them and that by way of inward Residence and Possession by his Dwelling in them John 6. 57. And they in him Even as the Living Father sent him and he Lives by the Father so all Believers live by Him and in Him This then being the Fundamental Meritorious Account Christ All and in All there is a Glorious Resplendent Justice and Equity in Gods Adjudication of the Prize to all Saints in Him Because there is an exact Ballance between what is Christs and the Glory of the Crown and of the Prize So that Scripture delights in the use of the Word Just Righteous Righteousness in the Admensuration to all in Christ at that Day Just and the Justifier of Him that believes in Jesus He is Just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousuess by way of Acquitance and Judiciary discharge because The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son hath by satisfaction and Sacrifice for sin first cleansed from all unrighteousness 1 John 1. 10. And there is an Illustrious Ensign of Justice and Righteousness in the Judgment of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a Flag of Defyance against all Adversaries the Calumnies of Malicious Devils and enraged Spiof wicked Men 2 Thes 1. 5 c. Hung out we translate a manifest token in that Day a Day of Adjudging the Prizes That Day of the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2. 5. And therefore the Crown is call'd as in some places a Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. And a Crown of Life So here a Crown of Righteousness as due to Christ in his though to us as in our selves It is a Crown giveâ— the Gift of Free Grace as Eternal Life oâ—pos'd to Death the wages due demerit desert of Sin It is Free Gift in Jesus Chriâ—â— upholding the Glory of Justice and Rigteousness in that Gift 3. The Crown says the Apostle shall be given at that Day There are two Times eminently Styled in Scripture that Day 1. The Day of the first opening of the Glory of the Gospel and after a time of Eclipse by the Anti-christian Apostacy shining out again in Glory In which first and last the great Prophecies of Scripture are Fulfilled we find therefore often in the Prophet In those Days and In that Day as all Compriz'd under that great Point of time the Fulness of time the appearance of Christ in the Flesh Gal. 4. 4. And the time from thence running to his appearance 2. The that Day of the Appearance of Jesus Christ and of his Kingdom as they are joyn'd a little before the Text that Fulness of All Times when all shall be placed that is Happy and Blessed under their Head Eph. 1. 10. And so that Day is often used in the Epistles of the New Testament as here and continually that Great Day that Day wherein shall be so Glâ—â—â—us an Unveiling a Revelation of the things that have now been kept secret but shall then be sett out in the truest and most Glorious Light The Beauty of every thing in its own proper season to which God hath referr'd in that General Table of time God hath drawn and that Solomon gives in short the Heads off in that so wise Book the Book of Ecclesiastes or of the Preacher At the End of the several events there recorded saying God hath made every thing Beautiful in its season But because it does not or may not without wise References to that Eternal World be understood to be so He says God hath sett Eternity or the Eternal World in their Hearts Eccl. 3. 1 c. Then also are all the Great Misteries of the Gospel shall be clearly unfolded and laid open All the various dealings of God with his own and with the Men of his present Hand and might the Men of this World shall be unriddled and disengaged from all their Darks and Intricacies and the Crown sett with Glory and the Glory of Righteousness on all his Saints And this because it is the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God And then as the wicked shall be all in Horror Tribulation Anguish and Amazement So Christ will be Glorified in the Saints and Admired in all them who believe who have Fought the Good Fight so as not to beat the Air They have run not as Incertainly and as in Naval Contests have not Shipwrack'd but held fast the Faith And so the Crown Adjudg'd to them by the Righteous Judge of the Combatants and their Activities in and through their great Agonothetes Jesus Christ and the suprme Agonistes Master of All and cheif Combatant 4. The Apostle joyns with himself all those who Love the appearing of Jesus Christ as those whom the Righteous Judge will give the Crown of Righteousness unto And this expression offers two considerations to us 1. That seeing the Apostle gives this short Character of Saints in General and not so particularly as Fighting the good Fight Finishing all their course and keeping the Faith but Loving the appearance of Jesus Christ It shews there may be and there is a different eminency of Saints But as they all meet in the Head Root Corner Stone So whatever their different measures are in making up the full stâ—ture in Christ yet they are all alike in the Glory the Crown of Righteousness Because it is all given by grace in Christ and so the Least as well as the greateâ—t are Crown'd in Him He gives the same Crown