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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	write_v	writing_n	year_n	163	3	4.6721	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17384	A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.	1623 (1623)	STC 4211; ESTC S107078	497,216	958

deuote our selues vnto godlinesse that thereby we may proue what this good and acceptable will of God is Let vs try Gods acceptation and wee shall certainly finde it shall go well with the iust Rom. 12.1 2. Yea wee should from hence gather much encouragement to imploy our selues in piety and mercy It is enough if God accept of vs. Quest. But what should we doo that we may be sure our sacrifices be accepted of God How shall we knowe when God doth accept our seruice in any holy duty Ans. That a mans conscience may be soundly established in this point of God's acceptation we must look to three things First that the person be sanctified None but Priests must approach to offer sacrifice to God They that are in the flesh cannot please GOD Rom. 8.8 The sonnes of Leui must bee purified and refined as the siluer is refined before their offring will bee pleasing Mal. 3.3 4. When the Lord reiected with so much disdain the sacrifices of the Iewes hee shewes what they should haue done to please him they should haue washed themselues by true repentance and put away the euill of their works Esay 1.11 16. Onely the works of the penitent cannot bee accepted if the person be not in fauour the works are hated For they are sanctified by the holy Ghost Rom. 15.16 Secondly that the manner of performing our seruice bee right there are diuers things in the manner are hatefull and diuers things pleasing The things specially hatefull are first beloued sinnes secondly hypocrisie thirdly malice and fourthly luke-warmnesse The sacrifice is lothsome if it be blinde or lame or blemished that is if men bring to Gods seruice the loue of any foule sinne the seruice is lothsome Malach. 1. So if mens hearts be carried away with continuall distractions that seruice is lost this is To come neer to God with our lips when our harts are farre from him Hypocrisie is leauen as beloued sin is hony both forbidden Again when a man comes to God's work and hath not forgiuen his brother hee keeps the Feast with some leauen his Passeouer is defiled nor can his own sinnes be forgiuen because he forgiues not Mat. 6. 1. Cor. 5.8 Finally luke-warmnesse is like a vomit to God when wee are neither hot nor cold They are lothed like the Laodiceans Reuel 3. There are other things wonderfull pleasing to God as First when a man doth whatsoeuer he doth in the Name of Christ this is the Altar that sanctifieth the gift and the sacrifices are heer acceptable through Iesus Christ Heb. 13.15 Col. 3.17 Secondly when our works are soundly powdered with salt that is when we soundly confess our owne vnworthinesse and giue all glory to God in Iesus Christ. Thirdly when wee loue mercy and piety accounting it our delight to doo God's will and thinking our selues greatly honoured to bee admitted to doo this seruice Mic. 6.8 2. Cor. 8.5 Fourthly when we can bring faith that is a heart well perswaded of God so as wee can beleeue all good of him and his mercy Without faith no man can please God Heb. 11.6 and God takes no delight in him that withdraweth himself through vnbelief Heb. 10.36 37. Fiftly when it is our euery-daies work Sacrifice will please God if it be continuall Hebrewes 13.15 Thus of the second thing Thirdly wee may knowe that our sacrifice is accepted if the Lord burn it to ashes with fire from heauen Thus God did put a difference between the sacrifice of Cain and Abel by some visible signe and though wee may not limit God and expect he should answer vs by visible signes yet God hath not left vs without testimony of his fauour For by his word of promise and by his Spirit bearing witnes to our spirits hath hee manifested euen from heauen his acceptation and in particular when the beleeuer stands before the Lord with his sacrifice duely offered when the Lord doth ●uddenly fill his heart with the cloud of his presence or warm his soule with the ioyes of the holy Ghost what is this but the signe of his acceptation Question What if we be accepted in our seruice of God what great thing is that to vs Answ. When God accepts thine offrings thou maist be assured of three things First that all thy sins bee forgiuen thee God hath purged away thine iniquity he hath receiued an atonement in Iesus Christ Psal 65.2 3. Secondly God is exceedingly delighted in them Thy sacrifice is a sweet smell vnto God he reioyceth ouer thee with ioy Phil. 4.18 Thirdly it is a pledge vnto thee that God wil supply all thy necessities out of the riches of his glory in Iesus Christ our Sauiour Phil. 4.19 Verse 6. Wherfore also it is contained in the Scripture Behold I put in Sion a chief corner-stone elect and precious and hee that beleeueth therein shall not be ashamed HItherto of the proposition of the exhortation The confirmation follows where the Apostle giues reasons why wee should make our recourse to Christ to seek holinesse of life from him and the reasons are two The first is taken from the testimony of God verses 6 7 8. The other is taken from the consideration of the excellent priuiledges of Christians vnto which they are brought by Christ verses 9 10. The testimony of God is both cited verse 6. and expounded verses 7 8. In the testimony of God obserue first where it is to be found viz. In Scripture secondly how it is there It is contained there thirdly what is testified Now the matter testified concerns either the giuing of Christ for the good of the Church or the safety of the Christian that by faith receiueth Christ. The giuing of Christ is exprest in these words Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone elect precious the safety and happinesse of the Christian that receiueth Christ in these words And hee that beleeues in him shall not be confounded First of the place where this testimony is found viz. in the Scripture By the Scripture is vsually meant all the Books of the old and new Testament written after an extraordinary manner by inspiration of the holy Ghost But heer he means it of the Books of the old Testament but yet so as the word doth agree to all the Books of both Testaments Now this very word giues vs occasion to consider of the nature of these Books and of their vse and of their excellency and of their harmony These Books are called Scripture because they contain in writing the whole will of God necessary to be knowne of vs they are the Treasures of all truth The doctrine which was before deliuered by tradition for 2000 yeers was afterwards written down and explained in these Books so as nothing needfull was left out or omitted Secondly this word imports the excellency of the Bible aboue all other bookes because it is called Scripture as if no other writings were worthy to be mentioned in comparison of these The Scripture exceedes

nor looketh after them as it were and though they haue Lawes and a kinde of gouernment yet their Lawes and Customs are vain Esay 10.3 altogether insufficient to make them liue happily Vse The vse may be First for information and so it may inform vs in two things First the vanity and insufficiency of worldly things riches power honour conquests carnall parentage and the like auaile men nothing vnto a blessed life the Gentils had all these in their greatest glory and yet not worthy to be called a people Secondly wee may hence gather the reason of these strange deuouring iudgements which fall vpon the world by warres famine pestilence c. For inasmuch as worlds of men liue without the compasse of the obedience to God's gouernment and stand out as so many Rebels the Lord therefore seeing they will not bee his people fights against them from heauen and makes wonderful hauock among them as a great King that reuengeth himself by the strength of Armies vpon Rebels Secondly for instruction and so wee that were sinners of the Gentiles should hence learn to acknowledge praise the free grace of God who without our deserts hath reckned vs in the Court of his people wee that were by nature viz. none of God's people Thirdly and especially it should set out the misery of all men liuing in their sins without repentance and the rather should we bee mooued with this terror 1. Because no place can priuiledge impenitent sinners for not onely professed Gentiles but euen wicked Israelites are in Scripture reckoned as no people The wicked are accounted as no people though they liue in the Church and dwell among God's people For what is the chaffe to the wheat though both lie together Yea though men bear the name of God's people yet God hates them neuer a whit the lesse for that and therefore to distinguish them and shew how little he regards them hee calls them the euill people Ier. 13.10 the disobedient and gain-saying people Rom. 10.21 the people of Gomorrah Esay 1.10 the people of my curse Esay 34.5 2. Because God will shew by his fierce wrath that hee doth not reckon of them at all but will cast them off as a girdle that is good for nothing Ier. 13.10 Many places of Scripture shew this All the sinners of the people shall die Amos 9.10 God will take away his power from them euen his louing kindnes and mercies and would not haue them much pitied Ier. 16.5 Behould saith the same Prophet in another place the whirl-winde of the Lord goeth forth with fury a continual whirl-wind it shall fall with pain on the head of the wicked Ier. 30.23 so Ezech. 11.21 Esay 34.5 Ob. But when men liue in the Church and are baptized c. how may it bee knowne that they are not Gods people what signes are there of men that are not Gods people Sol. They are described in diuers Scriptures where we may finde out what people it is God excepts against First such as can liue without God in the world are not Gods people Ephes. 2.12 Such as can goe whole daies weekes moneths yeeres without any harty care of God or his glory or fauour These are euidently not a people Secondly such as are of a stifneck such as will not let Gods yoke come vpon them such as wil not obey his voice but walk in the imaginations and counsels of their owne euill hearts Ierem. 7.23 24 c. 13.10 especially such as refuse to heare his voice and are withall gainsaiers and such as are talkers whose lips carry about them the infamy of Gods true people and the blasphemy of Gods name Rom. 10.21 Ierem. 10.13 Ezech. 36.3 c. Thirdly it may be discerned by their manner of seruing of God for such as God reiects from being of his people may draw neere to him with their lips but their hearts are from him and they doe him no seruice but as mens lawes feare them to it A constant habituall alienation of the heart from the care of Gods presence in Gods ordinances is a sure signe of persons God regards not Ob. But there are faults in the best men in the world and therefore why should such as liue in the Church and professe the true Religion be cast off only for liuing in sin seeing all are sinners Sol. I answer with the words of the holy Ghost Deut. 32.5 6. Their spot is not the spot of Gods people that spot that is in the wicked is a spot of leprosie and therefore they ought to bee put without the Campe till they be cleansed The sins of the Godly are sins of infirmity and the sinnes of the wicked are sinnes of presumption The wicked neuer obey from the heart which all the godly doe sinne doth not raigne in them as it doth in the wicked Thus of their estate by Nature as they were not a people their estate by Grace is described in those words Are now the people of God Are now the people of God The difference of reading here from that of the prophet is to be noted for wheras in the prophet it is thus In the place where it was said ye are not my people it shall be said vnto them Ye are the sonnes of the liuing God which words are somewhat doubtfull for some might gather that therefore all which were not a people should in time be the people of God The Apostle therefore applies it so as that it may appeare that the comfort only belongs to godly Christians and in stead of the words Ye shall be called the Sonnes of the liuing God he saith Ye are now the people of God which in sence differs not and the Apostle leapeth to the direct Antithesis and takes it for granted that all God's People are God's Sonnes also vnlesse we conceiue that hee borrowed these words out of Hosh. 2. vlt. which I rather incline vnto though Interpreters most take to the words and the first Chap. Ye are now the people of God For the sence of the words we must vnderstand that men are in Scripture said to be God's people three wayes First in respect of eternall Praedestination see Rom. 11.2 He will not cast off the people hee knew before Secondly in respect of the couenant in the Law and so the sonnes of Abraham were God's people and none other as many Scriptures shew Thirdly in respect of the couenant in the Gospell and so it is to be taken here and all vnregenerate men were not a people and all that beleeue are God's people by the benefit of the couenant of Grace in the Gospell Now for the coherence I might note That they that are not the people of God may be the people of God and so acknowledged of God himselfe which should teach vs with meekenesse and patience to waite when God will turne those that lie in their sinnes and despaire of no man and restraine fierce and peruerse censures concerning the finall estate of

of the soule that ouercomes the former resolutions and wil obey and that it doth by making euil present when she should do good or by hindring and dulling of the affections of the heart or by casting in of other proiects of purpose to breed distractions in the time of dooing good duties Rom 7. 5. By lusting that is by bringing-in of contrary desires euill concupiscences longings after forbidden things and in these lusts vsually the flesh combines with the outward aduersaries of the soule the world and the diuell and kindles the fire of those inordinate desires by dalliance with the world or the diuel 's temptations And thus of the second point The third thing is a question Why GOD should suffer the soule to be thus annoyed by the flesh saying He could haue made man again in Christ as he made Adam in Paradise and so haue vtterly abolished the flesh For answer heerunto three things may be said First that we are bound with all thankfulness to praise God for that grace he hath giuen vs in Christ though it bee not full perfect and so ought not to reason with GOD why he gaue vs not more grace and the rather because wee look for a time when wee shall bee more happy in that respect than euer Adam was and besides though grace giuen vs bee imperfect in respect of degree and so lesse than Adam's was yet it is perfect in respect of continuance and so it is better than Adam's Thirdly there may be diuers reasons assigned why GOD did suffer the flesh to remain in vs after calling for a time that is while wee warre in this world for 1. It shewes the greatnes of God's power that can keep vs notwithstanding such continual danger we are in 2. By this conflict diuers graces of the Spirit are raised vp and exercised which else were of little vse as godly sorrow pouerty of spirit desire of death and faith also hath much imployment about this combate 3. By this combate all the graces of God's Spirit are proued to be right and not counterfet in the true Christians for no man can constantly beare armes against the flesh but hee is a new creature This combate then serues for the triall of the gifts and graces of Christians 4. By this combate wee are cured of the horrible disease of self-loue pride in our selues and made more to loue God and trust in him as knowing that we deserue no fauour at his hand nor can be strong in our owne might 5. It is equall we should war before we triumph that wee should fight in the battels on earth before we raign in heauen Lastly it makes heauen and grace more precious in our sight and breeds in vs a desire to bee dissolued and so warns from the loue of this present euill world In the fourth place we must consider by what means the soule may preserue it self against the treacheries and assaults of the flesh and so the means is to be vsed either before the conflict or in the conflict or after the conflict Before the conflict if wee would take a sound course to bee preserued against the danger of the flesh we must look to these things 1. We must stand vpon our guard and keep a daily watch ouer our hearts and waies and not be retchlesse to despise our owne waies or neuer take notice of our hearts hee liues dangerously that liues securely we must take a diligent view of our owne naturall dispositions to bee able to discerne distinctly what it is the flesh vsually is prone to or imployed in 2. We must bee sure to commit our selues to God and by faith lay hold vpon Iesus Christ and settle our selues in our assurance for that cuts off many of the maine aduantages of the flesh especially it quencheth all those hellish darts that arise from doubtings and despaire which is to discerne the flesh 3. Wee must quicken in vs our hope of a better life for that will shew vs so much glory to bee had in the seruice of Christ as all the motions of the flesh will seeme vaine in comparison wee are neuer allured by the lusts of the flesh but when wee haue forgotten heauen or are destitute of the liuely hope of it 4. We must bee sober in the vse of outward things 1. Pet. 1.13 and remoue from the flesh those things wee obserue the flesh to bee apt to dally withall if the flesh could be diuorced from the world there were little or no danger 5. Wee must with all readines vpon all occasions entertaine all good motions any way cast into vs by Gods Spirit for as those are set vp and nourished the flesh is subdued and kept vnder 6. Wee must daily commit our selues and our soules to God by prayer and beseech him to keepe vs and accordingly to begge strength to auoid those euils which by nature wee find our selues most prone to 2. Tim. 1.12 Now if the flesh notwithstanding doe on the sudden either prouoked by the world or entised by the deuill make assault and lust after euill things then in the conflict our armour must be 1. Contrary lustings Gal. 1.17 The Spirit must lust against the flesh by raising vp holy desires and loathing of those base affections of the flesh 2. Prayer we must crucifie them drag them before the Crosse of Christ and there accuse them shame them iudge them condemne them and begge vertue from the death of Christ to kill them 3. The Word of God For as Christ beat away the deuill by alleaging what was written so should wee get store of places of Scripture which wee might alleage to our owne hearts when wee are entised to any sinne and so the promises of the Gospell would bee as shooes to our feete that neither thorny care prick nor vaine pleasures defile vs and so those promises are because they both shew vs greater things then fleshly pleasures can bee and withall shew vs such treasure in Christ as may free vs from liuing in care Two rules are of excellent vse for this purpose 1. To silence the flesh When it assaults not to suffer it to plead much but presently resist it 2. To looke to the beginnings of any corruption not to dallie with it and giue it way vpon pretence of safety for it may strangely prouoke and beyond expectation if it bee not looked to at first After the conflict wee must remember two things 1. To giue thanks to God for the help of his presence as accounting it a singular fauour to be protected against so vile an enemy 2. To take heed of security so to consider of our present deliuerance as to looke for more conflicts In the fift place it is profitable considering what reasons Christians haue to bee carefull of themselues and attend their soules in respect of the flesh for 1. This combate is a dayly combate the warre is neuer at an end it is an aduersary that neuer takes so much as a day