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A63871 A sermon preached before the right honourable the Lord Mayor, and Aldermen of London at the Guild-Hall Chappel, Octob. the 28th 1677 / by Bryan Turner ... Turner, Bryan, 1634 or 5-1698. 1678 (1678) Wing T3270; ESTC R1722 13,679 40

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Chaplyn Mayor Martis VI. die Novembris 1677. Annoque Regni Regis CAROLI Secundi Angliae c. XXIX THis Court doth earnestly desire Mr. Bryan Turner to Print his Sermon Preached at the Guild-Hall Chappel on Sunday last being St. Simon and Jude's Day before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of this City Wagstaffe Imprimatur GVIL. JANE Novemb. 22. 1677. A SERMON Preached before the RIGHT HONOURABLE THE Lord Mayor AND Aldermen of London AT THE GVILD-HALL CHAPPEL Octob. the 28th 1677. By BRYAN TVRNER B. D. Chaplain to the Right Honourable Charles Earl of Carlisle c. One of the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy-Council LONDON Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun near the West-End of St. Pauls 1678. 2 Tim. I. 7. God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind IN the Consideration of which words three Things will be requisite for me to endeavour 1. The Explication of the Apostles meaning 2. The Observation and Discussion of the grand Doctrine asserted 3. The Application of such useful inferences as that Doctrine offers and the time permits First The Explication will depend upon the satisfaction of these three Inquiries First What is meant by the spirit of fear on the one hand and the spirit of Love on the other Secondly Who he intends by them to whom the spirit of Fear was given for by the other 't is plain he means Christians Thirdly What the reasons are of this different spirit here described 1. Then by the spirit of Fear he means that inward frame disposition or habitual affection of Mind arising from the passion of Fear as by the Spirit of jealousie Numb 5. 15. is meant that affection seizing and possessing the Mind So by the spirit of Love he means the contrary frame or habitual affection For the spirit of power and a sound mind are but coincident with Love and make up that one frame of Spirit opposed here to the spirit of Fear Power is opposed to weakness and a sound mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed to stupidity and abject thoughts so that power and a sound mind are but the immediate results of Love as debility and stupidity are of Fear For Fear naturally is an impotent passion First it weakens the mind and betrays the succours of the soul upon which it secondly discomposes the mind and like an amazing blow staggers and obstructs the acts of Understanding and befools it But Love is a vigorous and active affection and therefore First It gives strength or activity called here Power Secondly It gives thereupon invention will and sagacity called here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sound mind or a quick and wisely apprehensive mind Love is always strong and active I cannot say 't is always clear-sighted or of a sound mind and judgment but this defect ought not to be ascribed to the affection but its object 'T is a passionate Love of an undue object that is blind Religious Love the subject of the Text is always clear-sighted i. e. it frames the mind of Man to the noblest and therefore wisest apprehensions of God and things Divine of any disposition or affection whatsoever In short that weakness and meanness of spirit which fear is apt to beget is the spirit of fear That cheerful activity and sagacity that Love is apt to beget and dispose the mind to is the spirit of power love and a sound mind which satisfies the first Inquiry What is meant by the spirit of Fear c 2. Who the Apostle intends by them to whom this spirit of fear was given 3. For what Reasons was it so To both which I answer They were the Jews chiefly under the Mosaical Law not excluding the Heathens under Gentile Superstition That Oeconomy under which the Jew was and that Superstition under which the Gentiles were were the Reasons of that spirit of fear they were under Not that both these were alike in the Apostles account but that in comparison with Christianity as Gentilism was sinful so Judaism was imperfect By this Apostle when Christianity is is oppos'd to other ways of Religion 't is plain he sometimes implies Gentilism but especially Judaism as 't is evident from all his Epistles especially to the Romans and Galatians and when he says in the Text of Christians God hath not given us the spirit of fear he doth imply some others had that Spirit given 'em or were under it That the Gentiles in their Religion were acted by the spirit of fear is manifest from this Apostle who calls their Devotions Acts 17. 22 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superstition or a dread of Demons which with them signified Divine Powers That the Jews under the Mosaical Oeconomy were in a great measure acted by the spirit of fear is evident from this Apostle Gal. 4 6. and Rom. 8. 15. where the same phrases that are in the Text occurring do extend the sense of it to Christians universally as under the Gospel and not to Timothy alone as in a peculiar Function and Ministry We have not received the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. again to fear as the Israelites at the dreadful giving of the Law Exod. 19. 16. but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father i. e. the filial disposition proceeding from Love excited in us by the placid invitations and paternal directions of the Gospel For that this spirit of bondage to fear refers to the Jews under the Mosaical Law is most apparent from Gal. 4. 1 2 3 c. So that the true and extensive meaning of the Text is this The spirit of fear was a temper naturally imprest by the Mosaical Law and suitable to that Oeconomy a main impulsive principle in their Religious observations of it And in freedom from this consists a great part of that mistaken Christian-liberty this Apostle speaks of in his Epistles Whereas the spirit of Love or a filial disposition is a temper which the Gospel is apt to beget and the chief and permanent principle moving to the Religious observations of it The truth of both which will appear from these Reasons 1. The Law was given in a tremendous manner so terrible was the sight that as the people could not endure that which was commanded so even Moses the Mediator said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 18 c. Exod. 19. 16. 2. The Rules it prescrib'd were precise restraints of natural liberty and being both ceremonial and numerous not to add painful and expensive they were a heavy yoke and as the Apostle says intolerable Act. 15. 10. such as neither they nor their Fathers could bear 3. The Sanction of this Law under so severe a Curse was rigorous Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one c. 4. Therefore their delinquencies could not but be frequent and consequently their just fears great and lasting And for this reason as I conceive the Old Testament usually expresses Religion by the