Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A65313
|
Seven sermons on several select subjects preached by Mr. Tho. Watson ...
|
Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
|
1689
(1689)
|
Wing W1144; ESTC R38959
|
64,277
|
202
|
then what doth Gods Love do If there be any comfort as you have heard whilst God is afflicting us what comfort is there while he is embracing us If there be any comfort in the Valley of Tears what is there then in Paradice There is the Bed of Spices and the River of Pleasures If God can make a Prison sweet what then is Heaven If afflicting mercy be so great what is crowning mercy Did God make one of the Martyrs flames a Bed of Roses why then how sweet is it to lie in Christs bosom the Bed of Perfume The second Use is of Exhortation Use 2. If Gods Rod hath so much comfort in it to the godly then be not too much dejected and cast down in Affliction If you meet with losses if you meet with Pyrats at Sea and Hornets at Land you see God can turn all these to good Thy Rod comforts me Therefore be not too much cast down Tho' we are not to pray for Affliction for it is in it self penal neither must we despond under Affliction Oh saith one if God did love me he would not have dealt thus severely with me he hath bereaved me of such and such a dear comfort which is like plucking a Limb from the body But Christian consider that which thou callest a dear comfort that God hath taken away perhaps it was an Idol it may be thou lovedst it more than thou didst God and if thou hadst not lost this comfort thou mightest have lost thy Soul and Heaven too why then hath God in taking away this comfort done thee any wrong there is mercy in all this Maist not thou say at last Thy Rod comforts me The third Use of Tryal Use 3. Let us examine whether we have had any Honey out of the Lion any comfort out of Affliction Hath the Rod of God upon us blossomed and brought forth Almonds It 's certain we have met with Affliction in one kind or other but what benefit have we got by Affliction what advantage for our Souls Can we say indeed as David Lord thy Rod comforts me Can we say We have met with such and such a sore Tryal and it hath brought us nearer to God and weaned us from the world it hath conquered our Pride and tamed our Covetousness When Gods Rod upon us fetches Water of tears and makes us weep bitterly for our sin then it is a good Rod. In short If Gods Rod hath made us better it hath made us Reform and break off iniquity when we can say with Ephraim Hosea 14.8 What have I to do with Idols To conclude all Let it be our daily prayer to God that we may find some comfort in Affliction some Honey mingled with our Gall. David speaks of comfort in Affliction Psal. 119.50 This is my comfort in Affliction Affliction it is not joyous but grievous Oh but when the Lord doth bless and sanctifie it to us now it brings comfort with it Let us pray that we may hear the voice of the Rod and kiss the Rod and bless the hand that holds it Let 's pray unto God that we may see his hand in every Affliction and wherefore God contends with us that we may turn to him that smites and say as David doth here in the Text Oh Lord thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me SERMON III. John 16 33. These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world THESE words were spoken by our blessed Saviour not long before his suffering The Chapters foregoing are full of spiritual sweetness This blessed Sun of Righteousness did it seems shine more glorious and bright a little before his setting Our Saviour Christ he was now about to leave the world and go to his Father and therefore having endeavoured to comfort the hearts of his Apostles and Disciples he knew they would be sorrowful therefore the more he endeavours to comfort them and this is the great Cordial he gives them before his death These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace Christ foretold that Sufferings would befal his Apostles and Disciples In the world saith he ye shall have tribulation the Greek word for tribulation it is a metaphor that alludes to Grapes that are squeezed in the Wine press till the blood of the Grapes comes out So saith Christ In the world ye shall have tribulation You shall be put into the Wine-press and perhaps the blood of the Grape may be prest out Tribulation it is the Saints Diet-drink it is bitter but it is wholesom All that God doth in afflicting his Children it is but to make them better and to try them and make them white Dan. 10. v. 12. Is it not far better to swim thorow the main River the Red Sea of Affliction to Heaven than to swim thorow the perfumed Joys and Pleasures to Hell and Damnation In the world saith Christ you must look for ye shall have tribulation But Christ having told of this bitter Pill he gives them some Sugar of comfort to sweeten it and make it go down the better In these words of the Text These things I have told you that in me ye might have peace First Here is the dark side of the Cloud tribulation Secondly The bright side of the Cloud that in me ye might have peace Doct. That the Lord Iesus Christ who is our Peace-maker gives his sweet peace to all his people that in me ye might have peace That peace meant here in the Text it is spiritual and sacred it is the immediate fruit and product of our Justification Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God. This spiritual peace the Lord Jesus procures by his Blood conveys by his Spirit maintains by his Intercession First This peace Christ doth purchase and procure by his Blood it swims to us in the Blood of Christ the Justice of God being wronged by us Jesus Christ laid down his life as a price that he paid for our peace it is his blood that doth cement us and reconcile us to God the Father as it is in Col. 1.20 Having made peace thorow the Blood of Iesus Secondly Christ conveys this blessed peace by his Spirit he doth procure it by his Merit and he doth convey it by his Spirit Iohn 16.7 The Lord Jesus left this peace to us as a Legacy And the Spirit it is Christs Executor to see that his Will be made good and that we should have â—his peace And now God being at peace with us thorow Christ Conscience that 's at peace too If the Heavens be quiet and serene and no tempest there nor wind blowing then the Sea is calm So if the great God be but at peace with us and there is no tempest in his face then Conscience that is quiet and all is calm Thirdly As Christ doth procure this blessed peace by his Blood
great point of prudence highly to value and love to kiss and admire this blessed Son of God. First Iesus Christ is the Son of God Kiss the Son he is the Son of God not by creation as the Angels are said to be his Sons but he is his Son by eternal generation Heb. 1.3 Who being the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his person Observe Jesus Christ is the Son of God for he is the brightness of his Fathers glory You know that the brightness that isâ—ues from the Sun is of the same nature with the Sun in the Firmament So Jesus Christ he is the brightness of his Father he is of the same nature with his Father as the Beams they are of the same nature with the Sun Therefore Christ speaks thus Iohn 14.9 He that hath seen me hath seen my Father Again observe Christ he is called the brightness of his Fathers glory The glory of the Sun in the Firmament it lies in the brightness of it So the incomparable glory of the Father doth most shine in Jesus Christ he is the brightness of his Fathers glory And this is enough to demonstrate to us that Christ is the very Son of God. And as Christ is the Son of God so he is a Royal Son he is a Son as he is a King I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion Psal. 2. Jesus Christ he is said in Scripture to be the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Rev. 1.5 All Kings they hold their Crowns by immediate Tenour from Jesus Christ Prov. 8.15 By me Princes reign So that Christ he is a Royal Son he is so a Son that he is a King. Indeed he hath the Titles given to him of a King. 1. He is called high and mighty Isa. 9.6 the mighty God. 2. As he is a King he hath his Ensigns of Royalty he hath his Sword Psal. 49.3 He hath his Scepter in his hand Heb. 1.8 3. Again Christ as he is King he hath his Prerogative Royal. As for instance he hath power to make Laws he hath power to pardon offenders which are Jewels belonging to the Crowns of Princes 4. Again he hath his Subjects and they are the most noble and excellent Subjects in the world in a threefold respect First All Christs Subjects are made free Iohn 18.36 His Subjects do fear him from an ingenuous principle of Love they do not serve Christ out of constraint but out of choice they are of a free noble spirit Secondly Christs Subjects they have the spirit of the Living God in them they have the in-dwelling of the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 1.14 Thirdly All Christs Subjects they are of the Blood Royal of Heaven they are Kings Rev. 1.8 Thus you see Christ he is a Son and he is a King he hath his Subjects 5. Again Christ as King he hath his dominions There are some Princes have titles but they have not dominions But Christ hath dominions as well as titles of honour He hath Lands belonging to his Crown Christs dominions are famous for three things First They are large dominions God hath given him as King the uttermost parts of the Earth for his possession His Kingdom reaches all over the world Secondly Christs dominion is famous for its spirituality The Lord Jesus sets up his Throne and Kingdom where no other King can He rules the hearts of men he gives Laws in their Consciences he binds their Souls by his Laws Here 's the spirituality of his Kingdom Thirdly Here is the eternity of his Kingdom or Dominion Thy Throne O God! is for ever and ever Heb. 1.8 What King can say so It 's true he hath many Heirs for all Believers they are his Heirs yet he hath no Successors Earthly Crowns fade away tumble in the dirt and those that wear them Doth the Crown endure to all generations No there is a worm that feeds in this gold But Christs Throne it endures for ever As the Lord Jesus hath the largest possessions for so he hath and they shall endure for ever and ever And thus much for the Doctrinal part Jesus Christ he is the Son of God the brightness of his glory And he is a Royal Son he is so a Son as he is a King. Now to make some Application Use 1. First By way of Inference Is Jesus Christ the Son of God a King full of glory and majesty then it informs us thus much That all matters of fact must be brought before this Son of God. It is the Son of God his Royal Son by whom all Princes reign Learn from hence That all matter of fact must be brought before this Son. Christ he hath the power of life and death in his hand Iohn 5.22 Observe The Father hath committed all Iudgment all Government to the Son. That blessed Lord Jesus that once had a Reed put into his hand by way of scorn and contempt he shall shortly have a Royal Scepter put into his hand as some great King. That Jesus who once hung upon the Cross he shall shortly sit as Judge upon the Bench. God hath committed all Judgment to the Son. The whole world must shortly come before the Son. That 's the last and great Assize from whence there 's no Appeal This blessed Son of God is fitly qualified to be the Judge of the world in respect of these two things First Jesus Christ hath wisdom to understand all Causes he is the Son of God he is God therefore will search to the bottom of all Causes therefore he is described with seven Eyes to denote his Omnisciency to judge of things Jesus Christ he weighs the spirits of men as it were in a ballance Iob 16.2 He is said to weigh the spirit Christ doth not only judge matter of fact but he judges of mens hearts Many mens actions may seem in this world to be good but their hearts are not good 2 Chron. 25.2 Now Christ this great Judge he hath this Touchstone to try the heart Secondly Jesus Christ he hath not only wisdom but hath strength too whereby he is able to be revenged upon all his Enemies Therefore in Scripture it is remarkable that Christs seven Eyes they are said to be upon one Stone Seven Eyes upon one Stone to denote the infinite strength of Christ the power and mighty strength of Christ. As Christ hath his ballance so he hath his sword to cut off offenders He can easily strike through the Loins of his Enemies Psal. 110. Thus the Son of God this Royal Son he is to be Judge and all Causes and all Matters will be brought before his Judgment Seat. Christs Court is the highest Court of Judicature if men are once cast there there is no Appeal to any other Court. A second Use that I would make of this point is an Use of Exhortation and it hath three or four branches in it First If Jesus Christ be the Son of God so full of glory and majesty and shall