Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	faith_n	word_n	write_a	3,171	5	10.6412	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16943	The house of God The sure foundation, the stones, the vvorkmen and order of the building. The incomparable strength of that house, and the vaine assaults and batteries of Satan and all his power. In a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, December 24, 1626. / By Matthevv Brookes.	Brookes, Matthew, fl. 1626-1657.	1627 (1627)	STC 3836; ESTC S119308	25,408	48

Catholicke Church are taken out of the vale of teares and conueighed into Abrahams bosome in respect of them the Church is triumphant and whereas some are left in this Forrest of Lebanon to wrestle with the Diuell the World and the Flesh in respect of them the Church is Militant Lastly in respect of the outward practice of Religion the Church is Visible and in respect of the faith of the beleeuers it is inuisible The condition therefore of the Church in generall and of euery member in particular is to be called out but they are not all called out at one age at one time or vpon one occasion That great Master of the Vineyard hired some of his labourers very early in the morning some at the third houre some at the sixt some at the ninth and some at the eleuenth houre Iohn the Baptist was sanctified from his mothers wombe Timothie was called in his youth Paul a young man and the Thiefe vpon the Crosse at the last gaspe Againe it is not one kinde of meanes that doth preuaile to win all those that are called to the faith or if you will haue it so not the same manner or method of preaching Augustine was insnared by the eloquence of Ambrose and the great disputer at the Nicene Councell Aug. Confess lib. 5. cap. 13. R●f Eccl●●st lib. 1. cap. 3. was caught by the words of a plaine man GOD hath sanctified the eloquent tongue of the learned man to preuaile on some and the humble speech of the vnlearned to preuaile on others for he that doth ordinarily call men by his Word is if it please him able to conuert thē without his Word Let no man cease to hope wel of his brother thogh for the present hee see noe uident tokens of his obedience God hath a time for him seriùs ociùs Sors exitura first or last it may fall to his lot the Lord of the Haruest may if it please him send him into the vineyard though at the eleuenth houre O terque quaterque beati thrice happy all those whom the Lord doth call effectually to his seruice Againe let vs not bee absent when God doth call for if we heare not how shall we obey Had the fiue wise Virgins beene out of the way when the Bridegroome did come how had they beene admitted into the wedding Chamber Mat. 25. Luc. 19. Had Zachaeus not stood in the way how had Christ called him from the tree Strange it is to see the practice of the world we account him sottish or rather mad who will absent himselfe when a worldly preferment may be gotten per ma●e per saxa per ignes we ride and runne when we may be heard for our profit yet when the King of Heauen calleth vs by his Word and Sacraments we sticke not to goe about our worldly businesses nay our pleasures and delights as Playes Tau●r●es and worse things then these two O mis●r● qu●●ta●●● in●ania ciues Shall we be so studious of these things and shall we not attend for our eternall profit Lastly let vs not bring itching eares into Gods House but humble and obedient hearts and because the Ministers of the Word doe summon vs on Gods behalfe let not our owne delights and pleasures let not the wicked worlds sinnes and vanities reteine our hearts in Sodome for Gods Family is Ecclesia a company called out This Church so selected Of the second exposition therein of the first proposition viz the Church is builded by Christ I will build my Church 1 Cor. 3.9 Exod. 36.1 so called out is builded or rather called out that it may be builded for it is Gods building When GOD would haue his Tabernacle in the wildernesse he sanctified Bezaleel and Aholiab for the worke and into many others he put wisdome and vnderstanding to know how to worke all manner of worke for the seruice of the Sanctuarie according to all that the Lord had commanded The sumptuous Temple of Hierusalem builded by Salomon 1 King 6.7 was of stone made ready before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any toole of yron heard in the House while it was in building A further preparation for the building of the spirituall House was heereby fitly shaddowed viz. Christ who is to build his Church doth first prepare the stones secondly hee sanctifieth certaine wise workmen to lay them into the pile thirdly he directeth them how to build and lastly by this meanes the stones are placed Conceiue this to be the order of the building First the preparation of the stones is meerely Gods worke who himselfe sorteth and chooseth out such as he will lay into the Temple de diuinae gratiae largitate of the bounty of his diuine grace saith Augustine Aug. Euchirid cap. 98. Eph. 1.4 For he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue By this meanes we come to be stones for the worke per misericordiam gratuitam by the free mercie of God others being cast by per iudicium debitum by the righteous iudgement of God that so in this respect wee might attribute nothing to our selues or glory in any thing that we can doe but according to the Apostolicall counsell He that glorieth 1 Cor. 10.17 let him glory in the Lord. Secondly the Ministers of the Word doe worke vpon these choice stones to lay them into the pile and for this cause are called builders Saint Paul affirmeth himselfe to be a wise Master-builder And they are sanctified separated 1 Cor. 3.10 or put apart from men for this worke as the Apostle saith that he is separated vnto the Gospell of God Rom. 1.1 Like as in the building of that great Ephesian Temple one of the worlds seuen wonders erected by all Asia in 220. yeeres as Plinie reporteth Lib. 36. Cap. 14. the builders layed a sure foundation of Coles trodden and rammed hard together and fleeces of Wooll superimposed to keepe it from sinking and from earthquakes so the builders whom God doth call and sanctifie to that office doe in this spirituall House vse all good meanes to preserue their worke that nothing may bee able to demolish it Thirdly they haue receiued rule and direction for GOD who will haue his Church to be builded doth direct the workmen how to doe it and therfore they worke according as they haue receiued order from him Now God directeth the builders two manner of wayes ordinarily or extraordinarily Our ordinary direction is the written Word which teacheth the true and right faith according to which we must build Rom. 12.6 Let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith It is therefore requisite that the Workmen be learned in the Scriptures to compare spirituall things with spirituall things to discerne which is the faith which is not the faith which thing is to be done by the Scriptures for Sacra scriptura

foundation Isa 28.16 Eph. 2.20 the foundations are the Prophets and Apostles they are the second foundation and vpon these the members of the Church as stones are builded according to that of the Apostle to the Ephesians Vers 22. You are also builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Of this spirituall building S. Peter was a liuely stone It is a name which no man knoweth but he that hath it hee doth eate of the Tree of life and of the hidden Manna he is a Citizen of Heauen a fellow-Citizen of the Saints and of the Familie of God and to be layed in any place of this Temple is an honour farre greater then to bee exalted in the Palaces of Kings The Queene of Sheba when she heard the wisdome of Solomon shee said thus ● King 10.8 Happy are thy men happy are these thy seruants which stand continually before thee and that heare thy wisdome Were these happy for hearing Solomons wisdome Were these happy for standing before him How much more happy are those that stand builded in this spirituall House in which the Lord doth dwell who heare his wisdome who are made wise vnto saluation who receiue the secrets of the Gospell who are made the sonnes of God hearers and vnderstanders of his wisdome and because builded vpon that strong and sure foundation which Christ is therefore neuer to bee throwne downe This happines is common to Peter with euery true beleeuer let vs therefore examine the matter further that we may see what prerogatiue he might haue in this building aboue other stones I said before that he was made a stone by his faith and by his function by his faith he was made an Elect and precious stone by his function hee was made a great stone and a necessary foundation stone by his faith hee was laid into the building by his function he was was laid into the foundation of the building By the first he had fellowship with the Saints by the second hee had equality with the Apostles vpon both these respects dicimus lapidem electum pretiosum necessarium fundamentalem Wee say that he was a stone a choice stone a stone of great worth meet for the building and a stone of the Foundation By his faith It is not euery kinde of faith that maketh a stone much lesse such a stone a liuing stone or if you will so haue it a spirituall stone for then were it possible that all men might bee stones of this building because it is not impossible that all men may haue one kind of Faith or other There is a common faith which both the Elect and Reprobate haue and there is a faith proper to the Elect of God and this doth properly deserue the name of faith for to speake Theologically fides est electorum fides faith is the faith of Gods Elect Tit● 1.2 so saith Saint Paul that he is an Apostle according to the faith of Gods Elect. The common faith is of three sorts Acts 8.13 Historicall whereby a man beleeueth the letter or History of the Bible to be true Temporary Iames 2 1● whereby a man doth not onely beleeue the Scripture and in particular the Gospell but for some short time doth make profession and perhaps doth bring forth some fruits but he is not faithfull vnto death and therefore hath nothing to doe with the Crowne of life Reu. 2.10 Mat. 17.20 1 Cor. 13.2 Lastly the faith of Miracles whereby the minde is carried with a vehement inspiration of the Spirit to doe signes and wonders in the Name of Christ Neither of these faiths doe make a man a stone in this spirituall and eternall building and therefore though Simon had them all they could not make him Peter they could not make him a stone The Diuels doe beleeue the Scriptures to be true Iam. 2.19 Demas the backslider and Iulian the reuolter did for a time make profession of them 2 Tim. 4.10 and false prophets prophecie and cast out Deuils yea and doe many wonderfull workes in the Name of Christ Mat. 7.22 It is therefore worthy to be enquired what kind of faith St. Peters was and because we said that properly faith is the faith of the Elect so we will call it it was the iustifying or sauing faith Rom. 3.28 which did lay hold on Christ the Sonne of the liuing God who came to breake the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 and to deliuer vs from the Iawes of death for Peter caught him in the armes of faith when he confessed saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Let a man haue neuer so much knowledge let him make neuer so great profession let him be able to remoue mountains if he haue not this faith he is as sounding brasse or as a tinckling Cymball This is the faith that maketh euery one that hath it a stone in the building I will not say a stone so precious so bright-shining-glorious as Peter was for euen among the foundation stones themselues there seemes to me to be some difference of gifts and graces in this life and of glory in the life to come The first foundation was Iasper Reu. 21.19 the second Saphyr the third Calcedony c. but a stone at least a true member of the Church of Christ the benefit whereof is Ephes 2.3 that first he is washed from his naturall filthinesse and of a child of wrath is made the child of grace Secondly he is reconciled Rom. 5.1 and is at peace with God through Christ Thirdly he is the child of God Rom. 8.17 and an inheritor of the kingdome of Heauen Lastly he attaineth all good gifts to bring him thereto as sauing knowledge religious zeale constant obedience perseuerance in grace and what else you can thinke or speake of nay more then can come within the imagination of a naturall mans heart for he dwelleth in God and God dwelleth in him yea God hath giuen him his Spirit whereby he knowes it Let the proud and ambitious men of this world seeke after wealth and honour let them Haman-like account the Kings fauour aboue all good things let them haue sumptuous Palaces heapes of gold and siluer and all pleasures as Salomon had let them enioy these things with health peace and libertie let them haue all the good things of the mind body fortune which any naturall man be he as acute as Aristotle or Plato is able to wish for this one gift of sauing faith possessed in the depth of pouerty and worldly contempt in the diseased body and vlcerous skin of Lazarus and at the best wandring vp and downe in Sheeps-shinnes and Goats-skinnes lodging in dennes and caues of the earth with the seruants of the Lord shall preserue the possessors of it in that great and terrible day of the Lords wrath when the wicked shall vanish as smoake and consume away as the fat of Lambes Let vs not therefore