Selected quad for the lemma: son_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A40656
|
A collection of sermons ... together with Notes upon Jonah / by Thomas Fuller.; Sermons. Selections
|
Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
|
1655
(1655)
|
Wing F2418; ESTC R21301
|
51,193
|
163
|
his heavenly Sermons holy life and happy miracles he was hated by carnall men chiefly on this account because such as followed his Doctrines must be sure of persecution here and waite for a reward hereafter 41. Let not the Ministers of the Gospel be disheartned and discouraged if with all their painfull preaching and pious living and courteous carriage to and good usage of their people they can never get nor gaine their generall good will The Disciple is not greater than his Master nor the servant than his Lord let us know to our comfort that Christ himself could never be long in peaceable possession of a generall good esteeme but for the reasons aforesaid fell into peoples displeasure though he went about doing of good 42. Now to make some use of the Text in generall and first is it so that our Saviour went about doing of good serveth in this the first place to confute such who will not at all go about but immure themselves in a Cloister pent within the walls thereof and then pride themselves in this their will-worship as the highest and holiest state of perfection though there they zily wither on the stalk they grew on without contributing any thing by their paines and parts to the Church or Common-wealth May not both Church and State as their creditors justly sue them on an Action of Debt for imbezilling these their part or if you will ingrossing them to themselves alone wherein the Communion of Saints doth claime a joynt and publique interest sure I am our Saviour that grand Exemplar of Holinesse did not confine himself to a Cell but went about doing of good 43. Secondly confuteth such who goe about but how not to do good but to do mischief every place they come at faring the worse for their company Thus as a Snaile may be traced by the slime she leaveth behinde her so these men may be tracked whithersoever they remove by the sootsteps of their own wickednesse Here they have a wanton speech there a drop an uncharitable passage there they scatter a profane expression they may be followed and found out by their bad words in one place and worse works in another these leave Satan for their Sovereigne or chief of their order Job 1. 7. Who came from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it But what to do The Apostle telleth us 1 Pet. 5. 8. Walking about seeking whom he may devoure Lazinesse is better than such labour idlenesse than such employment to go about doing of evil 44. Thirdly it confuteth such who to give them their due do some good and go doing of some good but they go not about their motion is circular but semicircular at the best they are onely beneficial to some of their own gang of their own party of their own faction their goodness is not generall and universall to all the true and proper objects thereof 45. What saith S. Paul Gal. 6. 10. As we have therefore opportunities let us doe good to all men especially to them who are of the houshold of faith those indeed are to have a Hanna's part of our Favour a Benjamine's portion of our Bounty yet so as all in extremity are the objects of charity we are to baulk none who come in our way not to say that some of plentifull estates are bound to seek out such objects for their liberality 46. It is observed that the disease called S. Anthony's fire or the Cingles because it clippeth and surroundeth the body in fashion of a girdle is never mortall till it wholly compasseth the wast both sides of the inflammation meeting together but on the contrary Charity is never Soveraign effectually and cordiall to purpose untill it finisheth its full circuit and taketh its compleat compasse going about to do good 47. It is an use of comfort to the Saints and servants of God considering that Christ who on Earth went about doing of good now in heaven antiquum obtinet keeps his old wont still retaineth his former mercifull and bountifull disposition he hath not lesse goodnesse for having more greatnesse lesse grace for having more glory yea rather now he doth greater and better things for us because he is gone to the Father John 14. 12. Whilst on earth his power was limited and confined his lustre was clouded and eclipsed with his humanity whereas now he is put into a better capacity to expresse himself and assist us able to work what we wish and doe what we desire 48. But now he doth not goe about doing of good because after his long wearinesse on earth he is reposed in ease and honour and fixed at the right hand of his Father in heaven yet still in some sence he may be said to goe about doing of good such the extensivenesse of his providence through the whole circle of Creation from Angels to worms though the Master-piece of his mercy is the daily making of intercession to God for his servants 49. Some difference there is amongst learned men about the manner of his making intercession some conceiving it done onely with his mouth others onely really by vertue of his merit probably it may be done both waies the rather because our Saviour hath a tongue as also a whole body but glorified in heaven and it is not likely that the mouth w ch pleaded for us on earth is altogether silent for us in heaven but in what manner soever this intercession be made it is so done as makes it both acceptable to God and effectuall for us by him who now reigneth in glory and formerly went about doing of good Amen Finis A GIFT FOR GOD ALONE S. LUKE 10. ver 27. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. LONDON Printed for JOHN STAFFORD at Fleet bridge 1655. A Gift for God alone PROV 23. ver 26. My son give me thy heart THese words My son are used more than sixteen times in this Book It is therefore well worth our inquiry what particular persons Solomon designed by that relative compellation First Negatively know that Rehoboam Solomon's son begotten by him heir but to two parts of twelve of his Father's Kingdome but not to the hundred part of his wisdome was not particularly reflected at herein nor any other of his bodily extraction where by the way though we read of Solomon's Wives and Concubines we can give but a slender account of his Children finding but one Son and two Daughters 1 King 4. 11 15. And probably he was not fruitfull in issue proportionably to his marriages 2. Nor Positively know Solomon was but the instrumentall Pen man Gods Spirit the principall Inditor of this Book And as our Saviour said Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother sister and mother So whosoever shall attentively hear and conscionably practise the precept in my Text the same is the beloved son and dear daughter therein
intended My son give me thy heart 3. We will begin with a brief paraphrase on each word so to disincumber them from all shew of difficulty and then by Gods assistance shall raise one staple Doctrine prove and apply it 4. Give not sell we ought not to be saleable in Gods service having mercenary souls chiefly aiming at our own interest Indeed we may and must with Moses Heb. 11. 26 have respect unto the recompense of reward we may look to it and was taken from him and given to his companion Then surely God will not hold them guiltlesse who having first given him their hearts afterwards take them away again and conferre them upon the world and wickednesse 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present world and is departed 1. Come we now to confute those flammes which the world the flesh and the Devill commonly suggest to men to deter them or at the least to detaine them from giving their hearts to God Indeed I could give them better termes as to call them pleas pretences excuses but flammes is even good enough to expresse them 2. First they alledge for themselves that in case they should give their hearts to God they must presently take a finall farwell of all comforts and contentments in this World Hereafter say they we must expect to live a dismall dreary dolefull discontented disconsolate life no spark of pleasure mirth and jollity but a lifelesse heartlesse life when we have given our hearts unto God 3. Answer I know not whether this flamme hath more of folly or falsehood therein Such needlesse feares and Jealousies the Devil starts in mens apprehensions The Jewes were afraid in case they did permit our Saviour publickly to preach amongst them John 11. 48. That the Romanes would come and take away from them both the place and nation Whereas indeed it had been the onely way to prevent their invasion seeing the putting of Christ to Death did not only accelerate but cause the ruine of their Nation Thus men suspect that the giving of their hearts to God will marre their mirth and destroy their delight for the time to come whereas on the contrary it is the onely way for the continuance increase and improvement thereof 4. True it is it will retrench that Mockmirth which ends in mourning that joy not to be rejoyced in it will defaulk those exorbitances and extravagances of Carnall pleasure wherein wicked men lay out their soules But the tree of true joy shall thrive the better for the cutting off of these suckers Yea which is more a soul is utterly unacquainted with virgin delibated and clarified joy untill such time as the heart be given to God from which moment all true joy beareth the Date thereof 5. It is worth our observation to mark the difference betwixt the old Translation made according to the vulgar Latine and the new conformed to the Originall in the rendring of the eighth Verse of the fourth Psalm Old Translation Thou haste put gladnesse in my heart since the time their corne and wine and oyle increased New Translation Thou haste put gladnesse in my heart more than in the time that their corne and their wine increased Here we may see that oyle to bring in three staple Commodities of the Land of Canaan is inserted in the Vulgar without any warrant from the Originall we cannot but dislike such an addition more than what is warranted in the Originall otherwise the Doctrine had been true in it self though putting in honey balm all other commodities which that Land did afford All of these could not equall that gladness of heart which the Spirit of God puts into a Christians soule after his heart is freely given to Gods service 6. The second flamme if we give our hearts to God we shall want one to discharge our several Relations to our wives children friends neighbours and acquaintance God will so ingrosse and monopolize our hearts to himself alone we shall want the use of them to all other purposes and intents where we stand engaged 7. Answer This flamme hath as much folly and more malice than the former Give thy heart to God and he will return it unto thee during thy life and what needeth any longer term therewith to discharge thy Relations better than ever before A heart given to God will rule thy paces unto thy wives bed to keep thy affections loyall unto her without any wandring In a word it is so given to God that it is still kept to thy selfe to perform all those offices which are according to Gods command 8. Third flamme But my heart is so bad it is not worthy Gods acceptance who justly will cast it away both the gift giver thereof All the bad Epithets given to a heart in the Scripture center and unite themselves in the mind yea concur in the constitution thereof An obstinate heart Deut. 2. 30. A froward heart Psal 101. 4. A proud heart Psa 101. 5. A perverse heart Prov. 12. 8. A haughty heart Prov. 18. 12. A stout heart Esa 9. 9. A stony heart Ezek. 11. 19. A hardned heart Mar. 8. 17. A heart slow to believe Luke 24. 25. An uncircumcised heart Act. 7. 51. An impenitent heart Rom. â— 5. And what else soever is found in Scripture sounding to the disgrace thereof If therefore I should give so bad a heart to God he would refuse it and returne it to me in his just displeasure 9. I answer if this flamme cometh from a Hypocrite and Dissembler it is utterly unworthy that any answer should be afforded thereunto But if it come from a penitent soule sadly sensible of its own badnesse as in charity we are bound to believe the best it deserveth a better name then a flamme yea is a hopefull and happy symptome though of weake of true grace in the party propounding it Happy that man blessed that woman who from a feeling of their own unworthinesse make this sincere complaint 10. Be it known then to their comfort that if they had a better heart then this whereof they complain and did begrudge and repine to bestow it on God yea did keep and reserve the same for the service of Satan and their own wicked lusts then this were in them notorious and unpardonable Hypocrisie But if this as bad as it is be the best heart they have they may yea must give it to God and from him shall receive the same in a New edition bettered and amended Thy obstinate heart shall be made obedient thy froward heart forward in Gods service thy proud heart humble perverse heart plyable haughty heart submisse stout heart complying heart stony heart fleshy hardned heart soft heart slow quick to believe uncircumcised heart circumcised impenitent heart repenting c. The onely way to get thy heart reformed is to give it to God who will create a new heart in thee according to Davids desire 11. Let us instance in three motives to quicken