Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A31008
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Preparatory-grace in conversion briefly stated and examined / by Thomas Barnes.
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Barnes, Thomas.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing B873; ESTC R25265
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8,796
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26
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Preparatory-Grace IN Conversion BRIEFLY STATED and EXAMINED By Thomas Barnes LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by A. Bald win in Warwick-Lane 1699. TO THE READER THe following Sermon had the unhappiness to be censured as unsound Dr. Gilpin of Newcastle and the offence proved greater by a supposed Opposition therein made to another Sermon preached a little before by an eminent Pastor in this Place For my part having not for some time heard him I could not rationally be suspected of an intention to interfere with Matters I was not acquainted with Only being informed of some popular Expressions he had used against that Phrase of coming to Christ and such as press it I confess it did increase my Jealousies of a Man whom for Age and Gifts I may never expect to equal This is all the Apology I need for this Publication of the Discourse which is the very same it was when before delivered 'T is not out of hast to appear in publick against a Man of his Acceptation in the World but if possible to allay the Prejudices of some to do good to many as his Sermon was not without its Scandal to the Few Probable it is that they who will not hear me will not read my Sermon And it is probable the Case may be put whether a Minister of Christ is not as well without the Company of such Readers and such Hearers Jan. 18. 1699. The Review of a Sermon as it was Preached in a Connection with Others from that Text EZEK 1.26 And upon the likeness of the Throne was the likeness as the appearance of a Man above upon it THE Cherubims are the Creatures of God described here as upon the Wheel and Motion under the Government of their Creator The Similitudes made use to represent these things may occasion a thought like that Fathers Quam alta sonant hic Mysteria What grave Mysteries have we here When he would have them move they move When he would have them stand still they do so Thus all God's Creatures are at his Command Things being thus disposed of the Father sets the Son in his own Throne and by a voluntary grant consigns the whole Universe over to him as King over all things to the Church Ephes 1.22 This is the substance of this Context according to the common sense of Commentators and Divines In this posture Ezekiel sees him above the Firmament upon the Throne as the Appearance of a Man such a Man as is above all his Fellows Now that this puts no force upon the Text beyond the intendment of it appears in the subsequent Verse where Christ is compared to Lamps of Fire And the Apostle tells you in Col. 1. v. 16 17. All things were made by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist The Jewish Doctors grant this in effect when they teach the Omnipotency of God and his Majesty to be exhibited herein as presiding over all the works of his hands This say we is the Glory of God as now manifested in Christ Hence my Doctrine was this That the Lord Jesus as God-Man Mediator has the weight of the whole Creation upon his hands and supports it by his Power To make out this Observation I have given you several proofs of the power of Christ by showing you his universal influx upon the Creatures Act. 17.28 This power I have informed you is either Moral and Legislative or Natural and Physical The former in his Distribution of Gifts Psal 68.18 Mat. ult 18 19. The latter in the works of Creation at first and his raising our Bodies at the last day I showed you also the extent of this power in both kinds V. Syntagmao Polani p. 2438. and lastly I gave you some concluding Applications What remains for me further to do upon this Subject is to evidence that our Lord Christ in this his supereminent Advancement varies his Influences according to the various Creatures upon which his Power terminates All Creatures are the Objects of the Power of Christ but all Creatures are not the same in kind He glorifies his Power every day both upon Man and Beast And yet he acts not the same way upon the One which he does upon the Other This naturally leads me to speak of that great Work of Christ in the Conversion of a Sinner unto himself wherein indeed he deals with Man as a reasonable Creature and yet gives us blessed Demonstrations that converting Grace is above the Powers of Nature And the rather do I at present fix upon this Because the Instance of Christ's Power in Conversion takes in both the Members of the former Distinction For in the first place The changing of the Sinner is an Act of his Legislative or Mediatorial Power The Sinner was given to him of the Father John 17.2 and to the Sinner has he a Covenant-Right nay a right of Redemption although the Sinner have no right to Christ until actual Faith In Conversion Christ recovers his Right and by Faith at Conversion does an elect Person 's Right become Actionable according to the terms of the Covenant And then again in the second place Conversion is a part of the Physical or Natural Power of Christ He works Faith in thy heart by the same Power wherewith he raised himself from the Dead Ephes 1.19 20. To be as practical then as may be in this Case accept of a few short Notes First When Christ converts the Soul he makes it see its own Misery That it is a miserable Soul without him and here it appears that other things without this degree of Conviction are unsound as to instance in the noted Young Man in the Gospel Mat. 19.20 The Young Man saith unto him all these things have I kept from my Youth what lack I yet A sad sign of a bad state doubtless this was and an high Opinion of his own Abilities doubtless he had He had done this and that One would think here were promising preparations for Grace Ay but saies Christ one thing thou lackest and that one spoiled all Thus deals Christ with all when he comes to deal to purpose He lets them see their Preparations if they proceed not are preparations for Hell A saving Faith must compleat the Work the Man thought he heard well and prayed well and lived well But when Christ comes he counts all things Dung for Christ Secondly The Man sees a necessity of Holiness Without Holiness he knows there is no Happiness so that he betakes himself to Christ as to the Fountain of Holiness Is hearing the Word necessary Is the practice of Duties necessary O then how necessary is it that above all I have Faith without which all other Performances are in Vain If you are for Holiness indeed and not in Name and Talk you must dig as deep as Faith in the Blood of Christ for it Holiness is Christ's Image on the heart All that the Believers does is from Christ