Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A95845
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Two sermons preached before His Majesties High Commissioner; and the Estates of Parliament By the appointment of the provinicial Synod of Lothian and Tweddale. Upon Sabbath the 7th. of May, 1693. Unto which is subjoyned the sermon preached at the opening up of the Synod. May 2. 1693. By Mr. William Vetch minister of Peebles.
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Vetch, William.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing V180; ESTC R230528
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36,246
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96
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my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church The metaphor may be taken from a piece of curious drawn work that the person in filling up thereof never puts in a stitch but they look on both sides to see it be rightly done and they Papper it over to keep it cleanly that they may get the masters approbation so should both Ministers and Christians be very careful both in their doing and suffering work that they fill it up with all dexteritie and keep it so as it may be presented with all purity For I do believe that GOD has cut out so much doing and suffering work for his Church in the world and that this is divided and subdivided to several Societies and Persons every one their part So much for the Church in such an Age and place of the World and so much for such an other Age and place of the World and every Person ought to notice what is their particular allotment that they may do it both proportionably and commendablie and not be like an Ignorant careless and nesty seamster to whom in a suit of curious Hangings was committed The doing of a head or a hand or a Leg and when it comes to be set together it is either not filled up or disproportionable or fullied and so mars the beauty of the whole suite and when the master comes in and sees how unhandsome it is and calls the persons guilty How will they be ashamed with what care then should Ministers and people that profess Religion to obey GODS Commands and follow the noble Example of CHRIST and His Apostles so mind to fill up what proportion of either doing or suffering work that is committed to them as they may be able to abide the tryal of that day and not be ashamed This is that which the Apostle Paul seems to call all the People of GOD to both ministers and others in this Text with respect to the doing part and in that of the first Chapter 24 Verse formerly cited as to the suffering part but alace this is too little heeded by many Now that we may discharge our Ministerial work well Let me Intreat our care as to these four things First Let us take care to be well seen in all parts of our work the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of the Church and the Duties Relating to these Secondly Let us be well seen into the cases of our People that we may know how to instruct Exhort Reprove and warn them both suitably and seasonably as to their various cases and Conditions Thirdly In the doing of these things let us alwayes keep our eye upon the right Rule which we are to work and walk by every Calling has some Rule to work by which requires some Studie to know or else a Person will but Bungle in his work Now no calling hath a sure Rule but the Christian calling therefore it is that others varie in their Methods But the Christian hath one standing Rule The word of GOD which is able to make the man of GOD perfect this we must precisely keep by and must not make the impositions of men Education Custome Example or Antiquity our Rule or any part of it which the woman of Samaria pleads Job 4.20 For the justification of their worship in Mount Gerizzim being two hundred Years standing But CHRIST Told her Verse 22. Ye Worship ye know not what you have the wills Examples and Traditions of men for the warrant of your worship but that is neither Law nor Light nor Rule to you seeing ye want my word which is the true Standart and your good Intentions will neither make that worship which you dote upon acceptable to GOD or profitable to you For all Corrupt and false worship carries no other Character in the Estimation of GOD but such as is recorded Hosea 11.12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies and the house of Israel with deceit we would bewar of being of that number and endeavour to be of the tribe of Judah which ruleth with GOD and is faithfull with the Saints Lastly If we would fulfill our Ministrie aright Let us wrestle much with the LOKD for his promised Spirit to teach us all things that concern the discharge of so great an office to put us and keep us in a right frame for our work to instruct us by a strong hand both what and how to speak to our people And that he would make it first savorie to our own Souls and then go along with us in the dispensing of the word seale it on the hearts of the hearers for the Kings message is best belived obeyed when it has the King's seal at it then peoples faith will not stand in the wisdom of Mans words but in the power of GOD. 1. Cor 2.4.5 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power that your faith may not stand in the wisdom of man but in the power of God And in the whole of our work let us chiefly aim at the good of Souls the enlargement of CHRIST's Kingdom and the Glory of GOD from Whom and by Whom and to Whom are all things to Him be Glorie for ever Amen FINIS
People rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah King of Judah But did this great King and his people rest so upon the LORD as to neglect the use of Ordinary means No for we see Verse 5. That he strengthned himself by the use of all outward means and built up all the wall that was broken and he raised it up to the Towers and another wall without and repaired Millo in the City of David and made Darts and Shields in abundance And verse 6. He set Captains of warr over the People and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the City And yet he counted all these outward lawful means but as a Quick sand in comparison for you see in the 7. and 8. verses which we have read he dropt his main Anchor upon the ROCK of Ages And the Issue declared that he was no looser thereby I come in the next place to the use of the Doctrine And first It reproves one and all of us in the different Stations Offices and Circumstances that we are into for our negligence and unconcernedness in carrying on this work of God when such a rich occasion and eminent call has been put in our hands But if we will mourn for our bygone negligence and amend our wayes for the future and fall vigorously to this Reformation Work which my Text calls us to then we may expect that God will pardon bypast neglects when he sees our future faithfulness and diligence The second Vse is To Exhort one and all of you Especially the Members of this Honourable and High Court of Parliament carefully to set about this begun work of Reformation and to take notice of Gods call to you this day for this end and purpose For if I know any thing of the mind of GOD this is the Message he has commanded me to deliver you and what obedience ye give to it the Divine Eye will certainly observe And if ye will answer Gods call aright there is a sixfold Reformation that all of us in our Stations must endeavour The First is Personal Reformation which God calls for at the Hands of every person in particular Ezeck 18. Verse 30. Pepent and turn your selves from all your Transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine And verse 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel And this personal Reformation is not only commanded in the Old but also in the New Testament 2 Cor 7 1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God Heb 12.1 Let us lay aside every weight Yea and our predominant sins that so easily beset us All which Scriptures tells us both the necessity of this Reformation and the difficulty of it which should awaken us unto great diligence and care there about And as this personal Reformation is Commanded of GOD so it is Commanded to others by those that have tryed it and found the good of it themselves as David did to his Son Solomon and his Princes 1 Chron. 22.19 Now set your heart and your Soul to seek the LORD your GOD And it is recorded to the Commendation of Jehosophat 2 Chro 20.3 That he set himself to seek the LORD Kings Nobles Gentrie Ministers and others will be bad Reformers of such as are under their Charge who seek not the LORD themselves O that our Closets our Consciences and our Conversations might be witnesses to our Personal Reformation It is clear enough from Scripture that the LORD may make use of great Persons for the Church and Children who yet may be Strangers unto personal Reformation themselves as Jehu and Joash were but one of the best motives to make persons in publick trust carefull for the Reformation of others is to be truely Reformed themselves A Second Reformation which we should endeavour in our station and that is Family Reformation what an Excellent patern does David lay before us for this Psal 101. Particularly the 7 Verse He that worketh in deceit shall not dwell in my House And how is Abraham commended by the LORD for this thing Gen. 18 19 Verse For I know him that he will Command his household after him and they shall keep the way of the LORD O what a heavie Reckoning will many Masters of Families and Parents meet with for their neglect of this at the great day besides the Judgements that it draws down upon them and their Families in this World one Instance whereof ye have not to name others Zech. 14.17 Verse And it shall be that whose will not come up of all the Families of the Earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King the LORD of Hosts even upon them shall be no rain Which tells us that persons and families who make no Conscience to attend upon the publick Instituted worship of GOD it is to be feared that they are strangers to a personal and family Reformation at home whereas persons that make Conscience of family Reformation will not dare to slight and neglect the publick Instituted worship of GOD. A Third Reformation That we should endeavour in our stations and that is Sanctuarie Reformation Hezekiah is an excellent pattern in this who himself set about it so timeoussie 2 Chron 29.3 verse In the first year of his reign in the first moneth did he open the doors of the house of the Lord and commanded the rubbish to be taken out and set up Priests and Officers therein and gave them a strict charge to mind their work Lamenting the defilements and corruptions that had crept into it To this I may add the necessity and profitableness of Universities and School Reformation a thing greatly necessarie in order to Sanctuary and publick Reformation For where Seminaries of Learning are tainted they prove the Bane of the Church and State also A Fourth Reformation That we should endeavour in our Stations is Judieatorie Reformation That all the Judicatories in the Land from the highest to the lowest may be reformed for upon search it will be found that many of them are not filled with such persons as have sound principles disposing them to Advance the present work of Reformation neither true loyaltie to their Majesties nor affection to the Established Government Great care therefore should be taken by the supream Judicatorie of this Nation that truth which is fallen in our streets Judgement may be raised to their feet again And that the iniquitie oppression and Injustice for which the Land mourns may be removed and we may have no more occasion for that Complaint Isa 59.14 15. verses And judgement is turned away backward and Justice standeth a farr of for Truth is fallen in the streets and Equity cannot enter You in whom is lodged the Supream Power would take care that the poor who hang to long on and cannot get their Cause discussed