Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	father_n	holy_a	trinity_n	2,831	5	9.8465	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09376	A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1607 (1607)	STC 19677.5; ESTC S2273	415,205	614

mens constitution may help forward this feare yet many times it comes from an accusing conscience as a fruit of sinne And the way to remooue it is here to be learned namely to doe as Moses did that is labour to bee resolued of Gods presence with vs and prouidence ouer vs and this wil arme vs against al satanicall and foolish feare For if God be on our side who can be against vs to do vs harme Againe the Souldier by his place and calling ought to be a man of courage for els the state of his life and the thought of his enemies will much affright him Now how may he become courageous They vse to sound the drumme and trumpet for this ende and it must be granted they be good incitements prouocations vnto battell but when it comes to the point of danger these cannot giue heart Others vse against the battell to fill themselues with wine and to make thēselues valiant by strong drinke This indeede may make them senselesse and so desperate But the true way is to become Christian souldiers knowing and fearing God and with their bodily armour to bring also the shield of faith wherby their hearts may be assured that God hath called them to that fight that he is present with them to couer their heads in the day of battell This will make them to take heart and courage to themselues and to become truly valorous though by nature they be weake and timorous Thirdly who knows whether God will bring vs to this triall either to lay down our liues or forsake his truth for he may iustly take from vs these golden daies of peace for our ingratitude Now if such times come vpon vs what shall we doe Shall wee denie the faith of Christ God forbid But how shall we stand out in such a triall Surely we must follow Moses and labour to see him that is inuisible by faith This will make vs couragious and without feare in Gods cause remēbring this also that among those which are reckoned to goe downe to hell the fearefull man is one Reuel 21.8 who dares not stand to the truth of God but for feare of men denies it Let vs therefore now begin to settle our hearts in the assurance of Gods prouidence and protection that so when triall comes wee may be bold in the case of God Him that is inuisible That is God who is a most simple essence voyd of all composition or corporall substance for God is a spirit Iohn 4.24 and therefore inuisible and not subiect to mans senses But some will say God is said to haue head heart hands and feete with other parts of mans body and therefore he is visible Answ. The holy Ghost so speaketh in scripture of God by way of resemblance of him vnto man that we might the better thereby conceiue of his works for therefore are the parts of mans body ascribed vnto God in scripture that we might know he doth such workes by his diuine power as man doth by the parts of his body Man sheweth his strength and valour in his arme and by resemblance vnto man God is said to haue an Arme to note out his power and valiant actes And so God is said to haue eies because wee should conceiue that by his infinite wisdome he seeth all things more cleerely than man doth any thing at noone day with his bodily eies And so of the rest But Moses is said to talke with God face to face and to see his backe parts Exod. 33.11 23. Answ. This imports not that he saw the substance of God but onely that God did after a familiar manner reueale himselfe vnto him and in some resemblance shewe him his glory so farre forth as Moses was able to behold it for the text is plaine My face can not be seene There shall no man see me and liue vers 20. Here wee learne that when wee pray to God wee must not conceiue of him by any forme or image in our minds for so we make an idoll of God Quest. What then must we doe for how will some say can I pray to him and not thinke of him Answ. When wee thinke of God or pray vnto him wee must conceiue of him in our mindes as hee hath reuealed himselfe in scripture that is by his workes and by his properties wee must thinke in our mindes of an eternall essence most holy wise c. who made all things and gouernes them by his mighty power For euery image to resemble God by either to the minde or to the eie is a plaine lie making him visible who is inuisible as saith the Prophet Hab. 2 18 The image what profiteth it for it is a teacher of lies Which flatly ouerthroweth the opinion and practice of the Romish Church who resemble the true God euen God the father and the holy Trinitie in images what else doe they herein but make a lie of God But the Papists say they deuise no image to resemble God in but onely such whereby hee hath shewed himselfe as the scripture testifies as the father like an old man the sonne as he was incarnate and the holy Ghost like a doue Math. 3.16 Answ. Wee must not conceiue of those formes of an old man or of a doue to haue beene euer any images of the father or of the holy Ghost but onely signes and pledges for a time whereby those persons did then manifest their presence Now there beeing an expresse commandement against all representation of God by images not excepting those very shapes whereby it pleased God for a time to signifie his presence it must needes be idolatrous presumption to make any image of God or of the Trinitie And indeed God being inuisible as the text saith it is impossible to make any true image or resemblance of him VERSE 28. By faith hee ordained the Passeouer and the effusion of blood lest hee that destroyed the first borne should touch them IN the former verses the author of this Epistle hath shewed vnto vs the notable faith of Moses by two worthy acts 1 His refusing to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter 2 His departing out of Egypt Now here in this verse he commends his faith vnto vs by a third action which is the ordination or celebrating of the Passeouer This verse is the summe of the 12. Chapter of Exodus the effect whereof is this After that God had sent nine seuerall plagues vpon the Land of Egypt which were occasions to harden Pharaohs heart at last he sends Moses to certifie Pharaoh that vnlesse he would let the people go he would send a tenth plague which should bee more grieuous to them than all the former euen the slaughter of all the first borne in Egypt both of man and beast Yet Pharaohs heart was not softened neither did he let the people goe Therefore Moses departeth from him and according to Gods commandement assembles the Elders of Israel together and causeth them to kill euery

offred him for though the common opinion be that he was but 13. yeares olde yet the more receiued opinion of the best Writers is that Isaac was 25. or 27. yeares olde How then could Abraham being an olde man of more then 120. yeares be able to binde Isaac being a young and lusty man and lay him on the altar to kill him For though Abraham had a commaundement to kill Isaac yet wee finde not that God commaunded Isaac to suffer himselfe to be killed now Nature moues euery one to seeke to saue his owne life and to resist such as would kill vs. How then was Isaac brought to yeeld thus farre to his Father For answere heereunto wee are to knowe that Abraham was no ordinarie man but a Prophet and that an excellent and extraordinary Prophet So God himselfe testifieth of him to Abimelech Hee is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee yea he was esteemed and reuerenced as a Prophet an honourable man euen of the heathen The Hittites tell him Thou art a Prince of God amongst vs. Genesis 23.6 Now being a man of so high place and so great regard euen in the world doubtlesse hee was of much more authoritie in his owne house It is therefore very likely that hee tells Isaac his sonne that hee had a speciall commaundement from GOD to kill him in sacrifice Now Isaac being an holy man and well brought vp hearing this is contented to be sacrificed and obayes his Father herein This I speake not as certaine but as most probable and it is the iudgment of best learned who haue had good experience in the Scripture This circumstance well obserued serues greatly for the commendation of them both of Abraham the Father that had so religiouslie brought vp his onelie Sonne that was most deere vnto him that hee would not resist the will of GOD reuealed vnto him though it cost him his life Oh that Parents would followe Abraham in so doing to their children then would it goe well with the Church of GOD. Againe Isaacs behauiour is heere admirable that hee would not resist his weake and aged Father but suffereth him to binde him and to lay him on the Altar yeelding himselfe vnto death when his Father tolde him My sonne GOD will haue it so This example must bee a patterne of obedience not onely for children towards their parents but for vs all towards Gods ministers when they shall tell vs what God would haue vs doe we must submit our selues and yielde though it turne to our bodily paine and griefe for Isaac yeelds though it were to the losse of his life But alas who will follow Isaac For let the minister speake against our carnall pleasure and vnlawfull gaine let him crosse our humour and affections then wee refuse to heare and will not obey Nay if the minister of God as the Lords priest come with the sacrificing knife of Gods word to the throat of our sin to kill the same in vs that so we may bee pure and acceptable sacrifices vnto God doe we not resist him and say in our hearts Wee will none of this doctrine Or if he like a Prophet of God come and offer to binde our consciences with the cordes of obedience and to lay our affections on the altar of the Law then we resist and are either too yong or too olde too rich or too learned or too great to be taught and bound to obedience But let vs know that if wee will bee true Isaacs euen the sonnes of faith and obedience and the true heires of Abrahams faith as wee would beare the world in hand then as he did submit himselfe to be bound of his father so must wee yield our selues to the ministers of God to bee bound by his word and suffer the same word to be in vs the two edged sword of the spirit to cut downe sinne and corruption in vs and to make vs newe creatures that so both in body and soule wee may become pure and acceptable sacrifices vnto our God Thus much of the facte it selfe wherein Abrahams faith is set forth Now follow the Arguments or reasons whereby the same worke of faith is commended vnto vs. The first Argument is taken from the great impediments which might hinder his faith and they are in number three First that he was brought to this worke not by ordinary command but by an extraordinary course in temptation Beeing tempted Secondly that he was to offer his own childe yea his onely begotten sonne Thirdly that he who had receiued the promises must offer him and kill him in whom the promise was made For the first impediment In the ordinarie translation it is read thus When he was tried But that is not so fit beeing rather an exposition of the meaning than a translation of the word For the very word signifieth to be tempted and the meaning is when he was tried I would therefore rather read it thus when he was tempted or beeing tempted as the word signifies In the handling hereof first wee will intreat of the nature of this temptation and then come to the circumstances belonging to the same Temptation as it is here vsed may be thus described It is an action of God whereby he prooueth and makes experience of the loyaltie and obedience of his seruants First I say it is an action of God This is plaine by the testimony of Moses in Genesis Gen. 22.1 where if we read the history we shall finde that God did prooue Abraham Obiect But against this it may be obiected that Saint Iames saith Iames 1.13 God tempteth no man and therefore no temptation is the action of God Answ. That place in Iames is thus to bee vnderstood God tempteth no man that is God doth not stirre vp or mooue any mans heart to sinne Yet further it will be said That temptation is an action of Satan for so in the Gospel wee may read Mat. 4.3 that hee is called the tempter Answ. Some temptations are the actions of God and some the actions of Satan God tempteth and Satan tempteth but there is great difference in their temptations first in the manner for Satan tempteth a man to sinne against the will of God and to doe some euill God tempteth a man to doe something which shall be onely against his owne affections or his reason Secondly God tempteth for the good of his seruants but Satan tempteth for the destruction both of their bodies and soules Againe I say Whereby he makes triall c. Here some will say God knowes euery mans heart and what is in them and what they will doe long before and therefore hee needeth not to make triall of any man Answ. God makes triall of his seruants not because hee is ignorant of that which is in their heart for hee vnderstandeth their thoughts long before but because he will haue their obedience made knowen partly to themselues and partly to the world so that hee makes triall of his seruants

beleeueth against all the world and is commended to all ages for this faith It is therefore but a vaine flourish of the Papists to presse vs so much with their multitudes and vniuersality and consent and vnity and succession cōtinuance For all this is worth nothing as long as they first proue not that that doctrine or opinion which these multitudes hold hath his ground from Gods word till then all the other is vanity For it is better with Noah to haue Gods plaine word of his side then to beleeue otherwise with all the world which was here deceiued condemned when Noah alone beleeued Gods word and was saued And thus we see who were condemned the world To end this point one question may not vnprofitably be here moued Whether was all the world that is all the men in that world condemned or no The words seeme to imply that all but Noah were and yet it may seeme strange that of so many Millions none should repent but he and if they repented why were they not saued I answere The world of that wicked age was condemned two wayes First with a corporall destruction and so they were all condemned without exception No high houses no hilles no deuises of man could saue them For the waters rose 15. cubits aboue the tops of the highest mountaines vnder heauen Gen. 7.20 And so though till then diuers of them liued by flying to the hilles yet that being their last refuge and being thus taken from them then all flesh perished that moued vpon the earth and euery man and euery thing that drew the breath of life For so saith the Story Genesis 7.21.22 And it is but vaine to imagine that any of them could be saued vpon that Arke for first it was so made with a ridge in the top as is most probably thought that no man could stand vpon it much lesse make any stay in that violent tossing by tempests Againe if they could yet could they not haue liued so long for want of foode the waters being almost a yeere vpon the earth And thus it is most certaine they all without exception were destroyed with bodily destruction But secondly they were condemned to an eternall destruction in hell and therefore S. Peter 1.3.18 saith Their spirits are now in prison who were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Now all the question is whether were they all condemned or no. I answere For ought that we certainly knowe out of the scripture they were all condemned Yet in the iudgement of charity wee are not so to thinke and the rather because there are many probable coniectures that some of them repented For howsoeuer many of them beleeued not Noah iudging that he spake of his owne head yet it is more then likely that when they saw it begin to raine extraordinarily at least when they saw themselues driuen to the tops of the hilles and there looked hourely for death that then diuers of the posterity of Henoch and Methusalem and Lamech were ashamed of their former vnbeliefe and then turned to God in faith and in repentance And doubtlesse that is the onely or the principall cause why God brought the floud in fourty dayes which he could haue done in foure houres that so men might haue time to repent Genesis 7. But it will be saide If any repented why then were they not saued I answer because they repented not in time when they were called by Noahs preaching Repentance is neuer too late to saue the soule from hell but it may be too late to saue the body from a temporal iudgement And this I take it is that that wee may safely hold for it seemes too hard to condemne all the posterity of Methusalem Henoch Lamech and other holy Patriarks who as the Text saith begat sonnes and daughters and to thinke that none of them repented when they saw the floud come indeede as Noah had said It cannot be but they heard their Fathers preach and why might not that preaching worke vpon their hearts when the Iudgement came though afore it did not But why then did not God record in the Scripture neither their repentance nor saluation but hath left it so doubtfull I answere for the very same for which he would not record Adams nor Salomons All for this cause that he might teach all men to the worlds end what a fearefull thing it is to disobay his commandement as Adam did or to defer repentance when they are called by Gods word as these men did Therefore to feare vs from the like though afterwards they repented it pleased God not to record it but to leaue it doubtfull This question being thus discussed yeelds vs two strong motiues to repentance First for if we repent not betime our state then is fearefull and doubtfull though not desperate as wee see here the saluation euen of Methushelas children is doubtfull for they repented not when they were called but deferred it till the iudgement came So if we deferre our repentance till our deaths there is great question of our saluation but let vs repent when wee are called by Gods word and then it is out of question then there is no doubt of our saluation Secondly if we repent betime we shall escape the temporall Iudgement which God sends vpon the world for sinne If not but deferre repentance till the Iudgement come we may then by it saue our soules but our bodies shall perish in the vniuersall Iudgement If the children of Henoch and Methushelah which were neere a-kinne vnto Noah had repented at Noahs preaching they had beene saued with Noah they did not But when the floud came indeede then doubtlesse they beleeued with Noah and wished themselues in the Arke with him but it was too late they saued their soules but were drowned with the rest So assuredly when God threatneth any Iudgement on our Church or Nation they that beleeue and repent betime shall escape it But they that will liue in wantonnesse with the world and not repent till God begin to strike If then they doe when the floud is come though saluation cannot be denied to repentance whensoeuer yet let them assure themselues they shall beare their part with the world in the punishment as they did partake with them in their sinnes Let then these two considerations moue vs all to turne to God by timely repentance then shall we be sure to escape both the eternall and temporall Iudgement and not be condemned as here this world of the vngodly was And thus we see who were condemned The world The second point is whereby were they condemned the Text saith onely by which hee condemned c. Whereupon some would vnderstand faith and reade it thus by which faith he condemned the world Which though it be true for the faith of holy men condemnes the vnbeleeuing and misbeleeuing world yet is it not proper in this place where the Arke is described by the vses of it which are two whereof this is

publikely expounded whereas in the meane time the Bible lieth neglected or little regarded wherein wee may see the notable worke of the Diuell and his malice toward the Church of God for the Schooles of the Prophets are the fountaines of learning Now when as Sathan by this meanes doth steale away from them the study of the Bible and in stead thereof foisteth in corrupt humane writings hereby hee poisons the fountaines to the danger of infecting the whole Church And as this is common in the places of Poperie so likewise some fault is this way committed among vs that be Protestants for many in their priuate studies take little paines in the booke of God but apply themselues wholly to the writings of mē as Counsels Fathers Schoole-men and other Expositors and in the handling of the Scripture they glory more to proue a point of doctrine by multiplicitie of humane testimonies then by the written word But the truth is thus to doe is to preferre the handmaide before the Mistris and as for the opening expounding of Scripture by other Writers it is no such point of deepe learning a man of ordinary capacity and diligence may easily deliuer what others haue done before him But to open the Scripture soundly and purely as it ought to be is of another nature then these mē take it and hereto the sound study of the Text itselfe will proue the best helpe as they will confesse who haue tried most of all And though the best mens works be but base stuffe to the pure word of God yet the writings of holy mē must not be contemned but must be read and regarded in their place for our furnishing and enabling to the study of the Scriptures and for the helping of our knowledge and iudgement in the word of God they that hold or practice the contrary knowe not what helpes they be and what light they yeeld to many dark places of Scripture But stil aboue and beyond before and after all the word of God must be eaten vp of vs and studied with all diligence Secondly in that the Author of this Epistle noteth their particular sentence and by consequence gathereth this meditation out of it that they sought a Country Hereby all men are taught to exercise themselues in hearing and reading all the places of the Bible euen the Histories of men therein and out of the words to gather godly meditations So Paul saith to the Colossians Let the word of God dwel plentiously in you Coloss. 3.16 The Prophet Dauid also noteth it for the property of a good man to meditate in the Law of God day and night And the practice of the blessed virgine Mary is registred as an example for vs to followe that she kept all the sayings of Christ in her heart But pitty it is to see how reading in the word of God is laid aside for it is so little practiced that men now-adaies will not be at charge to buy a Bible for bookes of Statutes men will not onely haue them in their houses but at their fingers ends but Bible they haue none and if they haue it lieth on the deske or table and they reade it not and if sometime they reade yet they neuer meditate thereon as wee are taught in this place Further whereas the holy Ghost reasoneth thus vpon these examples Abraham Isaac and Iacob were strangers and Pilgrimes therefore they sought a Country Herein hee teacheth vs this speciall point to wit that a doctrine though it be not expressed in plaine words in the Bible yet being gathered thence by right and iust consequence is no lesse to be beleeued and receiued then that which is plainly expressed and therefore they are farre to blame which mislike these tearmes in Diuinitie person nature sacrament consubstantiall trinitie c. because they are not expressed in the word But they may with good conscience and much profit be retained because though not literally yet in sense and meaning they are contained in the Scripture and may by iust consequence be gathered thence And wee denie not transubstantion because the word is not in the Scripture but because the matter is not there nor can by necessary consequence be deriued from it but rather the contrary Againe many refuse these doctrines the proceeding of the holy Ghost from the sonne and the baptizing of children because they are not expressed in the Scripture But hence we answer that though they be not expresly set downe in so many wordes yet by iust consequence they may be soundly gathered out of Scripture and therefore are true doctrines no lesse to be beleeued then that which is plainly expressed And thus much of the first part of the reason And if they had beene mindfull of that Countrey whence they came they had leisure to haue returned But now they desire a better that is an heauenly Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God For he hath prepared for them a Citie Here the holy Ghost proueth the second part of the former argument by 2. reasons the first is contained in the 15. verse and the beginning of the 16. It is taken from the distinction of Countries and may be framed thus They either sought an earthly Country or an heauēly Country But not an earthly Therfore they sought an heauenly Country The first part of this reason is cleare of it selfe The second part is in the 15. verse from whence followeth the conclusion in the beginning of the 16. verse To come to the first part in these words And if they had beene mindefull of the countrey c. That is if they had regarded or thought vpon Mesopotamia or Caldea from whence they came and where they were borne with any desire to haue enioyed the profits or pleasure therof they had leisure enough to haue returned backe thither by reason of the length of their daies which they liued in the Land whither God called them Here obserue two points First that they are not mindefull of or as the word imports they remember not the countrey from whence they came but when God gaue them commandement to depart thence and not to returne to Mesopotamia againe after this commandement giuen they came forth and did forget their owne countrey Whence we learne that howsoeuer vsually Forgetfulnesse be a vice yet some kinde of forgetfulnesse is a notable vertue namely to forget the things that displease God and which hee would not haue vs to thinke vpon Psal. 45.9 The Church is commanded to forget her own people and her fathers house That is her owne will and desires shee must neuer thinke thereof nor of any other thing whereby God is displeased vnlesse it be with dislike This condemneth the practice of many aged persons in these daies who delight themselues among the yonger sort to tell of the bad practices of their youth in wantonnesse contentions and breaking Gods commandements But in so doing they sinne grieuously for a man must not