Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	pillar_n	3,742	5	10.1590	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12071	Reasons most humbly offered to the honourable House of Commons in Parliament, by Sr Robert Sharpeigh, Knight, and Alexander Haitley, Esquire patentees for survey of sea-coales at Newcastle, &c. by nomination of the late Duke of Richmond and Lennox, proving the grant and patent thereof to be necessary and profitable to the common-wealth, the fee to be but competent and proportionable to the charge, and no imposition but a meere wages, or quid pro quo, voluntarily, offered to be payd for the service.	Sharpeigh, Robert, Sir.; Haitley, Alexander.	1624 (1624)	STC 22379.5; ESTC S2878	274,966	3

a wise Master-builder yet according to the grace that was given unto him which was indeed like that of Elisha in regard of the other Prophets 2 King 2.9 the elder Brothers Priviledge a double portion he was still taking all occasions to lay well the foundation and that in one of the most eminent Auditories for Learning and Pietie that are in the Kingdome They that were his constant Hearers know this well they that were not may see it by these his Sermons now published reduced as was deemed most fit into four severall Treatises wherein as the season required he still tooke the opportunitie of instructing his Hearers in this great Mysterie of our Religion The Incarnation of the Sonne of God one of the chiefe Fundamentals of our Faith one of the chiefe of those Wonders in the Mercy-Seat which the Cherubins gaze at which the Angels desire to prie into 1 Pet. 1.12 And indeed by reason he spake at severall times and by occasion of so many severall Texts of Scripture concerning this subject there is scarce any one of those incomparable benefits which accrew to us thereby nor any of those holy impressions which the meditation hereof ought to worke in our hearts which is not in some place or other sweetly unfolded In the first Treatise the Mysterie it selfe is indeed chiefely opened and is therefore called The Fountaine unsealed the rest as in so many strea●es convey to us that Water of Life which issueth from thence teaching us how to improve the knowledge hereof to the glory of God and the spirituall enriching of our owne soules The noted Humilitie of the Author I now the lesse wonder at finding how often his thoughts dwelt on the Humiliation of Christ. If we that now reade them be not changed into the same image from glory to glory it will be our owne fault This take from me the Treatises following are published by Copies of his Sermons which himselfe approoved and appointed and that by subscribing his owne hand purposely to prevent imperfect Copies Embrace them therefore as truly his and the Lord so raise up thy heart in the carefull perusall hereof that thy profiting may be seene of all Thine in the Lord Jesus A. JACKSON Lond. Woodstreet April 18. 1638. THE CONTENTS OF THESE ENSVING TREATISES THE SUMME OF THE first TREATISE GOdlinesse what page 4 The Gospel a Mysterie why 10 Religion why persecuted 14 How to carry our selves in Religion 15 To blesse God for Mysteries 19 Not to set on them with humane parts 20 Mysteries of Religion above reason 22 Not to despaire of learning Religion 23 Not to slight Divine Truths 24 Godlinesse a great Mysterie why 34 How to be affected with it 38 To endevour to learne it 42 Godlinesse a Mysterie without controversie ibid. Men live not worthy these Mysteries 45 What Truth to account Catholike 47 Of God manifest in the flesh 50 Christ justified in the Spirit 70 Christ seene of Angels 93 Christ preached to the Gentiles 114 Christ beleeved on in the World 137 Christ received up in glory 164 THE SUMME OF THE second TREATISE ANgels an Host why 205 Of glorifying God 216 The greatnesse of the glory of Redemption 222 How to know whether we glorifie God 232 Hindrance of Gods glory 238 How to come to glorifie God 243 Whence peace comes 252 Peace wrought by Christ why 258. How to know our peace with God 262 How to maintaine Peace with God 269 Motives to stirre up to this peace 273 Gods good will the ground of all good 282 Why God loves us in Christ 286 How to know Gods love to us 288 THE SUMME OF THE third TREATISE CHrist was rich 5 Christ God why 9 Christ became poore 10 Particulars of Christs poverty 13 Christs poverty our riches 16 What riches we have by Christ. 18. Why we are enriched by Christs poverty 22 Riches by Christ what 26 Abasement of out ward riches 35 How to i● prove the riches of Christ. 41 How to know we are in Gods favour 53 Grace may be knowne 55 Example of Christ should move us to good workes 62 How to profit by Christs example 63 Motive to follow Christs example 66 Manner of doing good 70 THE SUMME OF THE fourth TREATISE THEre is difference of people 83 God will have some in the worst times why ibid. Comfort that God will have a Church when we are gone 85 Gods children but few 86 God hath a speciall care of those few 88 Gods Church and children afflicted in the world and why 94 Outward povertie a helpe to povertie of spirit 98 Providence serviceable to predestination 105 Spirituall poverty what it is not 106 What it is 107 Degrees of this povertie ibid. Before conversion 108 After conversion 113 Signes of spirituall povertie 120 How to come to spirituall povertie 128 God trusted as he is knowne 134 Evidences of trust in God 137 How to come to trust in God 148 FINIS THE FOVNTAINE OPENED OR THE MYSTERIE OF GODLINESSE REVEALED BY The late learned reverend Divine RICH. SIBS Doctor in Divinitie Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES-INNE JOEL 3.18 And a Fountaine shall come forth of the House of the Lord and shall water the valley of Shittim EPHES. 3.3 He hath made knowne the Mysterie unto me which in other ages was not made known unto the sonnes of men LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-noster-Row 1638. THE FOUNTAINE OPENED OR The Mysterie of Godlinesse REVEALED 1 TIMOTHY 3.16 And without Controversie Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God manifest in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Seene of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles Releeved on in the World Received up to Glorie THERE are two things that God values more then all the World besides the Church and the Truth the Church that is the Pillar and ground of Truth as it is in the former Verse the Truth of Religion that is the Seed of the Church Now the blessed Apostle S. Paul being to furnish his Schollar Timothie to the Ministeriall Office he doth it from two grounds especially from the dignitie of the Church which he was to instruct and converse in and from the excellencie of the Mysteries of the Gospel that excellent Soule-saving Truth hereupon he doth seriously exhort Timothie to take heed how he conversed in the Church of God in teaching the Truth of God The Church of God it is the House of God a companie of people that God cares for more then for all mankind besides for whom the World stands for whom all things are It is the Church of the living God the Pillar and ground of Truth And for the Truth of God that must be taught in this Church that is so excellent a thing that we see the blessed Apostle here useth great words high stiles loftie expressions concerning it As the matter is high and great so the

holy Apostle hath expressions sutable a full heart breeds full expressions As no man went beyond S. Paul in the deepe conceit of his owne unworthinesse and of his state by nature so there was no man reached higher in large and rich thoughts and expressions of the excellencie of Christ and the good things we have by him as we see here setting forth the excellencie of the Ministeriall Calling being to deale with Gods Truth towards Gods people he sets forth Evangelicall Truth gloriously here Without controversie great is the Mysterie of God●linesse God manifest in the flesh c. In these words then there is a Preface and then a particular explication there is the Fountaine or Spring and the streames issuing from it the Root and the Branches there is as it were a Porch to this great House Great Buildings have faire entrances so this glorious description of the Mysteries of the Gospel it hath a faire Porch and entry to it Without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse Then the Fabrick it selfe is parcelled out in six particulars God manifest in the flesh Iustified in the Spirit Seene of Angels Preached unto the Gentiles Beleeved on in the World Received up to Glorie First for the Preface whereby he makes way to rayse up the spirit of Timothie and in him us unto a reverent and holy attending to the blessed Mysteries that follow Without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse In this Preface there is first the thing it selfe Godlinesse Then the description of it it is a Mysterie And the adjunct it is a great Mysterie And then the seale of it it is a great Mysterie without all controversie by the confession of all as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies there are none that ever felt the power of godlinesse but they have confessed it to be a great Mysterie Godlinesse is a Mysterie and a great Mysterie and it is so under the seale of publike confession to observe somewhat from each of these Godlinesse Godlinesse is either the Principles of Christian Religion or the inward disposition of the soule towards them the inward holy affection of the soule the word implyeth both for Godlinesse is not onely the naked Principles of Religion but likewise the Christian affection the inward bent of the soule sutable to Divine Principles there must be a godly disposition carrying us to godly Truths That Godlinesse includes the Truths themselves I need goe no further then the connexion In the last words of the former Verse The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth and then it followes Without controversie great is the Mysterie he doth not say of Truth but of Godlinesse in stead of Truth he sayth Godlinesse The same word implyes the Truths themselves and the affection and disposition of the soule toward them Truths to shew that both must alway goe together Wheresoever Christian Truth is knowne as it should be there is a supernaturall Light it is not onely a godly Truth in it selfe but it is embraced with godly affections These blessed Truths of the Gospel they require and breed a godly disposition the end of them is godlinesse they frame the soule to godlinesse Thus we see the Truths themselves are godlinesse carrying us to God and holinesse that I need not much stand on But that there must be an affection answerable and that this Truth breeds this is a little to be considered Why is Religion it selfe called Faith and the grace in the soule also called Faith To shew that Faith that is the Truth revealed as we say the Apostles Faith it breeds Faith and must be apprehended by Faith therefore one word includes both the object the thing beleeved and likewise the disposition of the soule to that object So here godlinesse is the thing it selfe the Principles of Religion and likewise the disposition of the soule that those Truths worke where they are entertained as they should be Hence followes these other Truths briefely First of all that no Truth breeds godlinesse and pietie of life but Divine Truths for that is called godlinesse because it breeds godlinesse all the devices of men in the world cannot breed godlinesse all is superstition and not godlinesse that is not bred by a Divine Truth Againe hence in that Divine Truth is called Godlinesse it shewes us if we would be godly we must be so from reasons of Christianitie not as I said by framing devices of our owne as gracelesse foolish men doe as we see in Poperie it is full of Ceremonies of their owne devising but if we will be godly it must be by reasons and motives from Divine Truth that breeds godlinesse It is but a bastard godlinesse a bastard Religion that is from a good intention without a good ground therefore the word implyes both the Tenent the Doctrine and the frame of Soule answerable to that Doctrine Good Principles without an impression of it on the soule is nothing it 〈◊〉 but helpe us to be damned and godlinesse without a frame of doctrine is nothing but superstition godlinesse in doctrine frames the soule to godlinesse in conversation There are many that out of a naturall superstition which is alway accompanied with a poysonfull malicious disposition against the Truth of God they will have devices of their owne and those they will force with all their power but if we will be godly it must be from reasons fetched from Divine Truth Againe hence we may fetch a rule of discerning when we are godly what makes a true Christian When he nakedly beleeves the grounds of Divine Truth the Articles of the Faith when he can patter them over doth that make a true Christian No but when these Truths breed and worke godlinesse for Religion is a Truth according to godlinesse not according to speculation onely and notion Wheresoever these fundamentall Truths are embraced there is godlinesse with them a man cannot embrace Religion in truth but he must be godly A man knowes no more of Christ and divine things then he values and esteemes and affects and brings the whole inward man into a frame to be like the things if these things worke not godlinesse a man hath but a humane knowledge of divine things if they carry not the Soule to trust in God to hope in God to feare God to embrace him to obey him that man is not yet a true Christian for Christianitie is not a naked knowledge of the Truth but Godlinesse Religious Evangelicall Truth is Wisedome and Wisedome is a knowledge of things directing to practise A man is a wise man when he knowes so as to practise what he knowes the Gospel is a Divine Wisedome teaching practise as well as knowledge it workes godlinesse or else a man hath but a humane knowledge of divine things Therefore he that is godly he beleeves aright and practiseth aright he that beleeves ill can never live well for he hath no foundation he makes an Idoll

people how-ever it be controverted by others yet they are not considerable All that are the children of the Church that have their eyes open they confesse it to be so and wonder at it as a Great Mysterie they without all doubt and controversie embrace it Things are not so cleare in the Gospel that all that are sinfull and rebellious may see whether they will or no For then it were no great matter to have Faith it were no great matter to be a Christian and then men could not be rebellious because things would be so cleare Things are not so cleare in the Gospel that they take away all rebellion and that it is not a grace to see that they are cleare to those that are disposed and have sanctified soules they are without controversie and things are sayd to be in Scripture as they are to those that are holily disposed The immortalitie of the soule it is cleare by reason from Nature yet notwithstanding ill disposed soules will not be convinced of the soules immortalitie but live and dye like Atheists in that particular The reason is cleare but it is not cleare to a lumpish ill-disposed perverse soule Therefore God doth carry the manifestation of Evangelicall Truths especially that they may be cleare to those whose eyes are open and not to others not because they are not cleare to them if their eyes were open but because they oppose them and rayse up rebellion and stubbornesse of heart against them It is an undenyable argument to proove the Scripture to be the Word of God to a wel-disposed soule but come to another and he will never leave cavilling Yet a man may say without controversie it is the Word of God because it is so to a sanctified soule other persons are not considerable in divine things Therefo●e the Apostle speakes of them as they are to Gods people without controversie Hence then we may know who is a true Christian hee that brings a firme assent to Evangelicall Truths that they are Great without controversie But is there no staggering is there no formido contrarij is there no feare that it may be otherwise Yes but in Faith as farre as it is Faith there is no doubting no contrarietie for staggering and wavering is contrarie to the nature of Faith and beleeving but because there are two contrarie Principles alway in a beleever therefore there is doubting in a beleever and wavering Therefore we are exhorted to grow more and more and the end of the Ministerie is not onely to lay the foundation of a beleever at the first but to build them up that they be not carryed away with every vaine Doctrine It is a Truth confessed to be true for Divine Truths are conveyed in an Historie in the Historie of the Gospel and what ground have wee to call them in question more then the storie of Thucydides or the storie of Livie or such like we take them because they are the Histories of such Times so the Mysterie of the Gospel is without controversie because it is a Mysterie in a Historie In this respect a man is more unreasonable that denyes it then he that denyes Livies Booke to be Livies or Tacitus to be Tacitus No man calls these into question why should we question this that is the Mysterie of Godlinesse set downe in the Historie of Christ of his Birth his Life and Death c. But not to presse that further I will onely make that use of it that a great Scholar in his time once did upon the point a noble Earle of Mirandula If there be no calling these things into question if they have beene confirmed by so many Miracles as they have beene in a strict sense why then how is it that men live as if they made no question of the falsehood of them what kind of men are those that live as if it were without controversie that Christian Truths had no truth at all in them M●n live so carelessely and prophanely and slight and scorne these great Mysteries as if they made no question but they are false the lives of men shew that they beleeve not this That it is out of question true to give an instance or two If a man were to go through a storme for some great matter if he did beleeve he should have some great preferment would he not ad●enture Certainely he would Those therefore that will not venture any thing for this excellent Treasure this unsearchable Treasure for his interest in the Gospel doe they beleeve it He that will not part with a penny for the gayning of a thousand pound doth he beleeve that he shall have so much Certainely he doth not there is such a disproportion betweene that that he parts with and that that is promised that if he did beleeve it his heart would yeeld and assent to it he would redeeme it with the losse of such a pettie thing much more in this case having such an excellent Treasure propounded Those therfore that will deny themselves no lust that will part with nothing for Christs sake doe they beleeve these things that the Apostle sayth are without controversie Certainely they doe not for there is a lesse disproportion in the things I named befo●e then betweene any earthly thing and the great good things we have discovered here in the Mysteries of Salvation Therefore we may see by this There is little faith in the World Againe in that he sayth without controversie or confessedly Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse here we may know then what Truths are to be entertained as Catholike universall Truths those that without question are received Then if the question be which is the Catholike Truth Poperie or our Religion I say not Poperie but our Religion I proove it from hence That which without controversie all Churches have held from the Apostles time yea and the adversaries and opposites of the Church that is Catholike But it hath beene in all times and in all Churches even among the adversaries held the positive points of our Religion That the Scripture is the Word of God That it is to be read That Christ is the Mediator That Christ hath reconciled God and man c. all the positive parts of our Religion have beene confessed without controversie ever since the Apostles times of all Writers and are still even among the Papists themselves for they hold all the positive points that we do They hold the reading of the Scripture but not in the Mother Tongue They hold that the Scripture is the Word of God but not alone but traditions also That Christ is Mediator but not alone so they adde their part but they hold the positive parts that we hold Therefo●● I ground that from the Text That which without controversie hath beene held in all times and ages of the Church and without controversie held by our selves and the adversaries it is more Catholike and generall

then those things wherin they dissent from us that were neither held from the Apostles times for they were the inventions of Popes one after another their fooleries wherein they differ from us they are late inventions and we hold them not they are lesse Catholike then that that they and we and all Christians hold ever since the Apostles times But to come to a use of practice Therefore when we have the Truths of Religion discovered to us by the Ministerie or by reading c. when they are conveyed to our knowledge by any sanctified meanes let us propound these Quaere's to our owne soules Are these things so or no Yes Doe I beleeve them to be so or no Yes If I doe beleeve them then consider what the affection and inward disposition is whether it be sutable to such things and so worke upon our hearts that our knowledge may be affective knowledge a knowledge with a taste that sinkes even to the very affections that pierceth thorow the whole soule that the affections may yeeld as well as the understanding and let us never cease till there be a corre●pondence betweene the affection and the Truth Are they true beleeve them Are they good embrace them Let us never rest till our hearts embrace them as our understanding conceives them And let us thinke there is a defect in our apprehensions that we call them into question if the affections embrace them not for alway answerable to the weight and the depth of the apprehension of the Truth is the affection stirred up and the will stirred up to embrace it A man knowes no more in Religion then he loves and embraceth with the affections of his soule The affections are planted for this ●nd upon the report of that which is good to them to embrace it to ●oyne with it therefore let us never thinke our state good till we find our hearts warmed with the goodnes of divine supernaturall Truths Oh how doe I love thy law● saith David He wonders at his own affections Let us labour to have great affections answerable to the things and never leave till we can love them and joy and delight in them as the greatest things and with blessed S. Paul account all as d●ng and drosse in comparison of them That knowledge is only saying knowledge that workes the heart to a love to a joy and delight that workes the whole man to practise and obedience that is onely spirituall knowledge All other knowledge serves for nothing but to minister God matter of justifying our damnation that our damnation wil be just that knowing these things we doe not worke our hearts to love them but we rest in the naked barren knowledge of them It is a pittifull thing to know things no further and no deeper then to minister matter of our just damnation Now all that have not a transforming knowledge that have not a spirituall knowledge they are in this state Therefore we should labour to see spirituall things in a spirituall Light for where spirituall Light is there is alway spirituall heat where spirituall evidence is in the understanding there is spirituall embracing in the affections evidence brings quicknesse supernaturall light and supernaturall life they goe together Let us labour therefore that our apprehension of these great Mysteries may be supernaturall and spirituall and then as the judgement apprehends them without controversie to be true the affections will be present to close with them So much for the Preface Without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse Now wee come to the particulars of this great Mysterie God manifested in the flesh This and the other branches that follow they are all spoken of Christ. Indeed the Mysterie of Godlinesse is nothing but Christ and that which Christ did Christ was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeved on in the World received up in Glorie So that from the generall we may observe this that Christ is the scope of the Scripture Christ is the Pearle of the Ring Christ is the maine the Center wherein all those Lines end take away Christ what remaines Therefore in the whole Scriptures let us see that we have an eye to Christ all is nothing but Christ. The Mysterie of Religion is Christ manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit c. all is but Christ. And that is the reason the Iewes understand not the Scriptures better because they seeke not Christ there Take away Christ take away all out of the Scriptures they are but empty things Therefore when we reade them thinke of somewhat that may lead us to Christ as all the Scriptures lead one way or other to Christ as I might shew in particular but I onely name it in generall He begins here with this God manifest in the flesh not God taken essentially but God taken personally God in the second Person was manifested all actions are of persons the second Person was incarnate The three Persons are all God yet they were not all incarnate though God were incarnate because it was a personall action of the second Person And why in that Person Because he was the Image of God And none but the Image of God could restore us to that Image He was the Sonne of God and none but the naturall Sonne could make us Sonnes He is the Wisedome of the Father to make us wise and he is the first beloved to make us beloved Such reasons are given by the Schoole-men and not disagreeable to Scripture for indeed it is appropriate to the second Person the great worke of the Inca●nation God in the flesh Therefore they usually compare the Incarnation of Christ to a Garme●t made by three Virgins Sisters and one of them weares it So all the three Persons had a hand in the Garment of Christs flesh the Father had a worke in it and the Holy-Ghost sanctified it yet he onely wore it therfore the second Person is God manifest in the flesh By flesh here is meant humane nature the propertie of humane nature both body and soule And by flesh also is usually understood the infirmities and weakenesse of man the miserable condition of man So God manifest in the flesh that is in our nature and the properties of it he put that on and not onely so but our infirmities and weakenesse our miseries and which is more he tooke our flesh when it was tainted with Treason our base nature after it was fallen which was a wondrous fruit of Love As if one should weare a mans Colours or Liverie after he is proclaymed Traytor it is a great grace to such a man For Christ to weare our garment when we were proclaimed Traytors after wee were fallen it was a wondrous dignation And he tooke not onely our nature but our flesh he was God manifest in the fl●sh that is in the infirmities of our nature he tooke

the soule being the most excellent thing in the world it is fit it should be set on the excellentest duty man being in such an excellent condition being heire of heaven and having an understanding soule it is fit the most excellent part of the most excellent creature should be set upon the most excellent object Now the most excellent part of the soule is the understanding it kindles all the affections and leades all the rest therefore let us take some time to meditate and thinke of these things What we are by nature and the misery we are exposed to by sinne that whatsoever we have more then hell is more then we deserve and then withall thinke what we are advanced to in Christ what we are freed from that cursed condition and what we shall be freed from the sting of death and all that wee feare for the time to come thinke of what we are freed from and what we are advanced to and by whom by God becomming man a mysterie that might nay that doth ravish the very Angels themselves God-man now in heaven making good what he did on earth by his Intercession and then the ground of all the infinite love and mercy and bounty of God to poore distressed man The thought of these things will inflame the heart now they never worke upon the heart thorowly till they end in admiration and indeed the Scripture sets it downe in termes of admiration So God loved the world So how So as I cannot tell how I cannot expresse it and What love hath God shewed us that we should be called the sonnes of God And then the fruits that we have by this Incarnation of Christ and by his death they are admirable Peace that passeth understanding joy unspeakable and glorious so that the mysterie is wonderfull and the dignity wonderfull and the fruits the comfort and peace and joy wonderfull every thing is an object of admiration therefore when wee thinke and meditate of these things let us never end till our soules be wound up to admiration of the excellent love of God Wee wonder at things that are new and rare and great is there any thing more new and rare then that that never was the like for God to become man Is there any thing more excellent then the benefits wee have by Christ becomming man to free us from so great misery and to advance us to so great happinesse If any thing be an object of admiration surely it must be this Therfore the Apostle doth well to give all the dimensions to the love of God in Christ height and breadth and depth and length it is a love passing knowledge Eph. 3. What good will come by this When the soule is thus exercised then it will be fit to glorifie God when it is in this frame it will thinke it selfe too good for any base service of sinne Eagles will not catch at flies when the soule is lift up to consider Gods love and mercy in Christ will it be catching at every base thing in this world No it will not the soule never sinnes but when it looseth this frame to have a judgement sutable to things when our judgement and affections are lost of the best things then comes in a judgement and affection to other things as better so losing that frame the soule should be in we fall to the creature to commit spirituall fornication with that Let us labour to keepe our soules in this temper begin every day with this meditation to thinke what we were what we are now in Christ what we shall be and by what glorious meanes all this was wrought that so the soule may be warmed with the love of God in Christ this frame of spirit will not suffer the soule to sinne to stoope to base sinfull lusts Now to helpe this in the next place begge of God the spirit of revelation to discover to us these things in their owne proper light for they are spiritually discerned Now the Spirit knowes the brest of God what the love of God is to every one in particular and he knowes our hearts too Therefore the Apostle desires of God the Spirit of wisedome and revelation to discover these things to us not onely that they are truths but that they are truths to us for unlesse we know these things belong to us in particular wee cannot glorifie God as wee should they are in themselves glorious things to heare of Gods mercy in Christ of God becomming man to heare of Kingdomes and Crownes oh but when there is a spirit of appropriation to make these our owne that God in Christ loves us Who loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. then the soule cannot but breake forth with the Angels here Glory to God on high therefore begge the Spirit to reveale to us our part and portion that he would shew his face to us that he is to us a Father in Christ surely in hearing meditation and prayer c. wee shall finde a secret whispering and report from heaven that God is our Saviour and that our sinnes are forgiven especially when wee stand in most need of this comfort let us therefore begge of God to take away the vayles of Ignorance and Unbeleefe and openly to reveale his Fatherly bowels and tender mercy to us in Christ to discover to us in particular more and more our interest in the same by his Spirit that onely knowes the secret of our hearts and being above our hearts can settle our doubts onely the Spirit can doe it for as God onely works salvation so the Spirit only can seale to our soules our salvation this is one excellent way to helpe us to glorifie God And adde this as motive as a plea not to move God so much as to move and to satisfie our hearts and to strengthen our faith that it is the end of our lives and the pitch of our desires to glorifie God therefore we desire God to reveale himselfe so farre to us to be our Father in Christ that we may glorifie him surely it is a forcible plea God will doe that that is suteable to his end He hath made all things for his owne glory especially the worke of Redemption in Christ is for the glory of his rich mercy and we desire the sense of his mercy and love for this end that we may be fitter to glorifie God it is a prevailing argument fetched from Gods owne end And let us labour daily more and more to see the vanity of all things in the world put the case we have honours and large possessions in the world that we wanted nothing if this were severed from Gods love in Christ for life everlasting what comfort could wee have in this especially at the houre of death let us see therefore the vanity and emptinesse of all things else out of Christ and the good we have by Christ what all will be ere long the daily

them or else we shall find no grace we must be poore in Spirit and sensible of our misery for God inricheth those that are empty and poore The rich he sends empty away We must sue to God for grace by the Spirit of grace and take heed that we turne not these offers of grace to occasions of wantonnesse and so divide Christ to take out of Christ what we list and leave what we list we must know that Christ as he is our Iesus to save us so he is our Lord as he saith here The Lord Iesus Christ we must submit to him for the time to come and then we shall finde experience of his sweet grace The next thing I obserue briefly is that This grace must be knowne Saith the Apostle here you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. A man may know his riches he may know his interest in Christ. The Apostle useth it here as an argument to perswade them to good works that that is used as an argument must be knowne before the thing can be perswaded A thing cannot be made light by that which is darker then it selfe but the Apostle here useth this as an argument you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ so that these truths are taken for granted That all grace comes by the poverty of Christ. And then that we may know our selves to be interessed in it that Christs poverty was for us A man that is a true Christian may know his share and interest in the grace of Christ or else how should he be perswaded by this as an argument if he know it not Or how shall he be comfortable excep● he know that he hath interest in Christ It may be knowne out of the Scriptures as a history that Christ is gracious for matter of fact the Devils know it as well as we and Iudas knew it but hee speakes here of a knowledge with interest you know it by experience the Spirit witnesseth to your spirits so much that Christ gave himselfe for you I know the grace of Christ as mine as belonging to me as if there were no man in the world besides and as this knowledge is with interest so it stirs up to due All other knowledge but knowledge with interest may stand with desperation and what good will it doe to know in generall that Christ came to save sinners and yet go to Hell for all that It is the knowledge that applyes Christ in particular that saves a man that knowledge that determines the generall to my owne person Therefore we must labour for this Christ was poore for me He loved me and gave himselfe for me The love and free grace of Christ it may and it ought to be knowne We ought to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure It may be knowne but it cannot be knowne without a great deale of diligence and selfe deniall This knowledge is a super-added grace It is one thing to be a sound Christian and another thing to know it A man cannot know it by reflexion but he must first be good in exercise he must finde grace working he must give all diligence to make his calling and election sure to him It may be sure in it selfe but it cannot be sure to him without diligence therefore those that know their estate in grace they are fruitfull growing carefull watchfull Christians It is no wonder that in these secure times if we aske many whether they know themselves to be in the state of grace upon sound grounds they wish well and they have many doubtings There are many that have the seeds and the worke of grace in them but the times are so secure that they know it not Vsually it is made knowne to us in the worst times either in the time of affliction and temptation and triall or after when wee have fought the good fight and overcome our corruptions To him that overcommeth will I give of the hidden Mannah that is he shall have a sweet sense of Christ to be Mannah to be bread of life to him to him that conflicts and gets the victory over his corruptions The reason why many feele not that sweet comfort from the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ it is because either they doe not conflict with their base corruptions or if they doe strive they get but a little ground of them And let us take heed of that cold and injurious conceit as if it were a thing not to be known whether we belong to Christ or no. What doe we think that Christ would come in the flesh and become poore nay become a curse for us and that he is now in Heaven for us and all that we should doubt whether we be in his love or no and that we should not labour to finde our portion in that love What a wrong is this to the grace of Christ Is not all his dealing towards us that we might be joyfull in our selves and thankfull and fruitfull to him and how can this be without some knowledge that our state is good How can wee live well and dye comfortably without it Therefore let us make it the maine scope and aime of our indeavour Oh the happinesse of that Christian that is good and knowes himselfe to be so What in this world can fall very uncomfortably to such a man Nothing in the world can take downe his courage much whereas another man that doubts of this can never be comfortable in any condition he cannot be joyfull and thankfull in prosperity he cannot be comfortable in adversity for hee knowes not from what ground this comes whether it be in love to him or no. You see from hence likewise that grace is no enemy to good workes neither the freedome of Gods favour being without any merit on our part nor the knowledge and assurance of salvation it is no enemy to diligence and to good works nay it is the foundation of them The Apostle doth not use it here as an argument to neglect good workes no he stirs them up by it If any thing in the world will worke upon a heart that hath any ingenuity it is the love and favour and grace of God the love of Christ constraineth the love of Christ as knowne it melts the heart The knowledge of the grace of Christ it is very effectuall to stir us up as to all duties so especially to the duty of bounty and mercy for experience of grace it will make us gracious and kinde and loving and sweet to others Those that have felt mercy will be ready to shew mercy those that have felt grace and love they will be ready to reflect and shew that to others that they have felt themselves Those that are hard hearted and barren in their lives and conversations it is a signe that the Sunne of righteousnesse never yet shined on them There is a power in grace and grace knowne to assimilate the soule to be