Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	ghost_n	holy_a	interpretation_n	2,811	5	9.4838	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90060	The all-seeing vnseen eye of God. Discovered, in a sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons; at Margarets Westminster, December 30. 1646. being the day of their solemne monethly fast. / By Matthew Newcomen, Minister of the Gospel at Dedham in Essex, and one of the Assembly of Divines. Published by order of the Honourable House of Commons.	Newcomen, Matthew, 1610?-1669.	1647 (1647)	Wing N904; Thomason E369_6; ESTC R201280	33,531	55

our sins the action quà actio is from God the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irregularity of it is from our selves Now this is a further demonstration that God knows all things and this argument also David useth in the 139. Psal 15 16. And thus now I have done with the explication of the Text and demonstration of the truth conteined in it I come now to the application of it Vse 1 The first improvement that I will make of this point shall be for Information All things are naked and open unto God God is Omniscient If so then this informes us that Jesus Christ is God and the holy Ghost is God for Jesus Christ is Omniscient and the holy Ghost is Omniscient Omniscience is an incommunicable attribute and therefore the servants of God from those Scriptures that attribute omniscience to Christ and to the holy Ghost as many Scriptures you know do have successefully and invincibly maintained the Deity of Christ and of the holy Ghost Joh. 2.24 25. Joh. 21.17 Luk. 10.12 1 Cor. 2.10 11. against the blasphemous oppugners of it Chrysostom applyes these words of my text unto Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he speaks of the Sonne and saith with whom we have to do I speak not this as if I suspected any in this auditory guilty of so foul a crime as the denial of the Godhead of Christ or of the holy Ghost though I fear there is as much of this blasphemy in England at this day as ever was since the name of Christ was known in England But I speak it only to let you see how pious and just it is in the Honourable houses that as they have begun to declare their zeal for God in making a law that men may no longer impunè wickedly and pertinatiously blaspheme his glorious essence and attributes So to shew the like zeal for the glory of his eternall Sonne and Spirit This is the will of God that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father Joh. 5.23 In the daies of Theodosius the Arrians through his connivence were grown very bold and not only had their meetings in Constantinople the chief City of the Empire Theodo 5.16 but would dispute their opinions etiam in foro and no man could prevail with the Emperour to lay restraints upon them because saith the Historian he thought it nimis severum inclemens esse at length comes to Constantinople one Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium a poor Town an honest man but no great polititian for the world Sozom. 7. he petitions the Emperour to restrain the Arrians but in vain Next time he comes to the Court finding the Emperour and his son Arcadius whom he had lately created joint Emperour standing together he doth very low obeysance to the father but none to the son but coming close up to him in a familiar manner stroketh him on the head and saith Salve mi fili God save you my childe The old Emperour taking this for a great affront being full of rage bids turn the man out of doors As the officers were dragging him forth he turning to the Emperour saith ad hunc modum extstima ô Imperator c. Make account O Emperour that thus even thus is the heavenly father displeased with those that do not honour the Son equally with the Father which the Emperour hearing calls the Bishop back again asks him forgivenesse presently makes a law against Arrianisme forbids their meetings and disputations constitutâ poenâ Here was a blessed artifice by which the zeal of this Emperour was suddenly turned into the right channell and he was taught by his tendernesse over his own honour and the honour of his son to be tender over the honour of God and his Son Jesus Vse 2 In the second place this That all things are naked and open unto the eyes of God confutes those that say God seeth not knows not sin And secondly That say God seeth not sin in his children Averroes Vorstius First Such as say God seeth not sin God say they knows all things by knowing himself and by looking upon himself seeth all things in himself tanquam in speculo Now God say they cannot see sin in himself for it is not in him therefore God cannot see sin Besides Hab. 1.13 Scripture saith Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity I answer God doth know the sins of men not as if our sins were or in speculo but sin being a privation that as all other privations is known by the contrary habit or act ut caecitas per visum tenebrae per lumen so God knoweth sin per virtutem oppositam per bonitatem actus oppositi and as for that text in Habbakuk it is to be understood not descientia simplicis intelligentiae but de scientia conjuncta cum approbatione Deus non cognoscit peccata per scientiam approbationis and of this knowledge the text speaks That God did see the sins and violences of wicked men that text tells and the Prophet under a temptation did almost impute unto God an approving of them which was contrary to his nature Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and canst not look upon iniquity wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue Secondly Antinomians This confutes those that say God seeth not the sins of his justified children Certainly if all things are naked and open unto the eyes of God then even the sins of his own dearest Saints and children No say some by no means their sins are all covered And the great text they pretend unto is that Numb 23.21 He hath not seen iniquity in Jacob Numb 23.21 nor beheld perversnesse in Israel Now true it is the sins of justified persons are covered David Paul tell us so but withall they tell us how not simply and absolutely so as God cannot see them this would argue impotency and imperfection in God but secundum quid so covered as God will not impute them And for that which is their Locus palmarius it is never a whit to their purpose He hath not seen iniquity in Jacob nor beheld pervernesse in Israel so it is ordinarily read but a reverend and learned Authour M. Gataker in his book intituled Gods eye upon Israel hath with much dexterity and strength proved it should rather be read He hath not seen or will not see or cannot endure to see any wrong against Jacob or any grievance against Israel for so the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used doe often signifie trouble and grievance as he hath at large proved from Scripture and the context doth exceedingly favour this interpretation But take the words in the ordinary reading they will no way favour this opinion He hath not seen iniquity in Iacob nor beheld

of your sequestratours I know that upon complaint any that are unjustly molested shall finde reliefe at your hands But in the mean time it is a matter of joy and triumph to your enemies if they can create a vexation to your friends and to your friends it is a petty death to be thus vexed for nothing but favouring your service Might not your wisedome think upon some course to check this insolency in delinquents But these are but private evils and they are but some few persons and families that grone under them for relief at your hands I will shew you Kingdoms Nations dying perishing if you make not hast to succour them There is Ireland poor Ireland that 's drawn to death that 's ready to be slain that 's more then half slain already that lies bleeding gasping ready to give up the ghost doe we not with trembling hearts expect every day when we should hear that Ireland is dead perished lost I am sure you will not you cannot say behold we know it not O then doe not fore-slow your aid and their deliverance Now God hath given you so glorious a conquest over your enemies at home O let your eyes and hearts be upon Ireland and doe something speedily vigorously for the delivering of your brethren that are drawn to death that are ready to be slain that are killed all the day long so shall not the blood of Ireland be required at the hand of England There is also another object of your commiseration and that is England our own dear England that hath languished of a bloody issue almost half as long as that woman in the Gospel till the very strength and vitals of it are almost exhausted I may say to you of England as Pharaohs servants did of Egypt Knowest thou not that the whole land is destroyed Exod. 20.7 I know you have used many means for the gaining of our pea●e go on in those endeavours still and prosecute them now more then ever and the Lord so blesse them with successe that your enemies may see and be forced to acknowledge what we have affirmed all this while to wit that a holy righteous safe peace a peace with truth a peace with reformation was all you aimed at in your warres There is yet another dying object of your pity and that is Truth Religion the Gospel the Lord Jesus Christ that lies a bleeding that 's drawn to death ready to be slain O doe not I beseech you forbear to deliver them There is scarce any truth of Christ any Doctrine of the Gospel any point of our Religion but by some temerarious hand or other hath been invaded assaulted maimed ready to be slain The Doctrine of the Trinity of the God-head of Christ and of the holy Ghost of the verity of the Scriptures the Doctrine of Election of Redemption of Vocation of Justification of Sanctification the work of the Spirit the rule of life of holinesse the Doctrine of the Sacraments of the Immortality of the soul c. We may say with the Prophet Isaiah Truth is fallen in the streets Isa 59.14 And there me thinks it lies breathing out Davids sad complaint I looked on my right hand and there was none would know me Refuge failed me no man cared for my soul Psal 142.4 Me thinks I see truth and Religion lying in the streets and crying as the poor creatures doe that lye by the Pallace wall or in the hole at Ludgate Some mercifull man have pity upon me for the Lords sake but as generally neglected and disregarded as those poore creatures are Truth it is Right Honourable and beloved that when first you met in Parliament we were in great danger of losing our Religion There was a Popish Arminian faction that had a designe to robus of our Religion God gave you hearts to be very sensible of that danger and to be very zealous for the prevention of it I and thousands more must and will bear you record that if it had been possible you would have plucked out your own eyes rather then have parted with the least Apex or Iota of divine truth out of a lenity or indulgence to Papist or Arminian or any other Heretick where is then your former Zeal is Religion and truth lesse dear and pretious now then it was before God forbid Is it in lesse danger O that it were But surely beloved our danger in this particular is but a little changed not quite removed then indeed Religion was in danger of a more violent and quick dispatch and now it is in danger of a more lingring but as sure a death then it was like to have been dispatched with one thrust of a sword or one chop of a hatchet by the hand of known and undoubted enemies now it is like to be stabbed to death with bodkins with variety and multiplicity of errours that have wounded our Religion in every vein And this assassinate upon Religion committed by those that would be counted her chief and onely friends Lift up your eyes and consider doe you not see the body of our Religion lying like the body of Caesar after he was murthered in the Senate-house with above twenty severall wounds given him by the hands of his own friends and confederates or like the body of Cassianas whom two hundred of his own school-boyes stabbed to death with the pins of their writing-Tables May we not say of Religion as Pradentius doth of that Martyrs picture Pruden Perist Hymn 9. Plagas mille gerens totos lacerata per artus Ruptam minutis praeterens punctis cutem Truly when I behold the face and state of Religion among us it is in mine eyes as if the Lord Jesus Christ were crucified afresh and put to open shame in the midst of us Here comes a blasphemous Arrian and he wounds his head by denying him to be God There comes a sectary that 's a flat Arminian though he hath not wit enough to know it and he wounds him through the heart by maintaining universall redemption and that Christ shed his blood for all men a thing that never entred into the heart of Christ There comes an Antinomian and he pierceth his hands and his feet by denying that exact walking and working by the rule of the Morall Law which Jesus Christ came not to give an indulgence or dispensation from but to give himself an example of Atque haec impunè Can you plead ignorance of these things and say behold we know it not you cannot blessed be God you doe not you have begun to set your faces against these blasphemies and heresies that servis dormientibus are broken in upon us Go on in this your might to stop the mouth of all ungodlinesse and the zeal of the Lord of hosts be your strength I know it hath been said by some that because a heart to know and embrace the truth is the gift of God and the Magistrate cannot by forcible means work such a heart in men therefore the Magistrate must use no compulsion or coercion in matters of Religion but certainly though the Magistrate cannot give grace yet he may compell men to attend upon those meanes where God doth usually give that grace 2 Chron. 34. 38 Ezra 10.7 8. Else you must not only repeal the Laws that enjoin Papists to come to our Churches but repent of them as yours and the Nations sins And though the Magistrate cannot give men a heart to know and love the truth yet certainly the Magistrate may make Laws to restrain and punish errours and blasphemies that are against the truth else pari ratione because a chast heart or a true and loyall heart Dan. 3.29 is the gift of God and the Magistrate by all his penall Laws cannot make men have such hearts therefore the Magistrate may not make Laws to punish adultery incest theft treason were this good Divinity or good policie Go on go on Right Honourable and beloved let not such shadows as these stay you Remember the vows of God are upon you for the extirpation of heresie superstition schisme profanenesse and of whatsoever is contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse as well as of Popery and Prelacy Remember the vows of God are upon you and the eyes of God are upon you and the Lord give you strength so to perform your vows as you may finde acceptance in his eyes Amen Amen FINIS